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R
oses have always fascinated me but not being endowed
with the proverbial “green fingers” I initially hesitated
to take on this exotic flower. Roses were not easily
available and thinking that it would be all too complicated
and way beyond the capabilities of my ‘malis’ and me, I had
resigned myself to admiring them in someone else’s garden
or in the shops.
It was only in 2004 while at Margherita T. E. that I felt brave
enough to try, encouraged by my dear friend, Junu Borkotoky.
I bought ten plants from Tezpur and Tinsukia, and started...
Luckily, my first attempt was a great success and since then I
have planted roses in Baghjan, Paneery and now at Hunwal.
They have given me great pleasure so I would like to share a
few tips on growing this fascinating flower.
e best place:
1. A well drained spot where the plants will get at least four
to six hours of sunlight.
2. No roses should have been planted there for around ten
years.
e right time:
From end-October to mid-December or February to March
e right method:
a) Soil preparation:
1. Pits should be dug 2 ft wide and as deep, with straight
sides, at a distance of 2 to 3 ft apart.
2. A 3 inch layer of rubble at the bottom of the pit will
help drainage.
3. Fill ¾ of the pit with well rotted cattle manure, leaf
compost and soil well-mixed with a handful of
powdered lime (chuna).
4. The soil used to finally fix the plant in place should
not contain any cow manure, but be a mixture of soil,
leaf mould and a tablespoon of bone meal.
b) Planting:
1. Cut off any unwanted suckers below the grafting joint,
and any dead twigs.
2. Do not remove the ball of earth around the root of the
young plants. Soak the plants in a bucket of water for
an hour so that some of the soil may come off without
damage to the roots when planting. If the plants are
in polythene sleeves, the roots must be watered before
planting too.
3. Make sure the lateral root is 2
⅟
₂ to 3 inches below
ground level.
4. The grafting joint should be at least 1
⅟
₂ inches above
the soil so as to keep it free of unwanted suckers.
5. Keep a slight mound of earth over which the roots are
spread.
6. Fill the prepared soil around the plant carefully, then
firm up the area, especially around the collar of the
plant. Stake it, if necessary.
c) After care:
1. The newly planted roses need shelter from sunlight,
but dew is beneficial to them.
2. The soil around the base of the plant should be weed-
free but avoid disturbing the roots.
3. The soil should be reasonably moist. Avoid over-
watering, watering the leaves or watering in strong
sunlight.
4. An antifungal spray must be used in case of rain or
(God forbid!) hail.
5. The plants do not bloom much during the first six
months but if they do, cut any blooms above the
second five-leaf branch let or above the next outward
facing eye.
d) Pruning:
This must always be undertaken from mid-October to
mid-November no matter how old the plants are.
Opinions differ on pruning of roses. I follow what some
would call a rather “drastic” but successful method. I do it
personally, with the help of a ‘mali’ to hold the pruned
branches away so as to avoid looking like a wounded
soldier by the end of the day!
1) Pruning is best done early in the day, using a sharp
pruning knife or scissors for the cleanest cut. Long
sleeved garments and gloves help a lot!
2) Cut with an outward slant above the third outward
facing dormant bud or eye, counting from the base of
the plant. In this way you should be left with two to
four branches after pruning.
3) Work your way around the plant so all the cuts are
outward facing. Remove any dead wood near the base
of older bushes.
4) “Wintering” (the “drastic” step): Once the bushes are
pruned, on the very same day I remove (by hand)
between 4 to 6 inches of soil in a circle, 6 inches from
the base of the plant, to expose the roots. The plant is
then left without watering for 5 to 7 days or until there
are signs of new growth on the pruned stems.
5) The waiting period may be used to prepare soil which
will be used to refill the circular trench around each
plant: 2 parts fresh soil, 1 part leaf compost and 1 part
dry cattle manure, well mixed. The refilling must be
done only after the signs of new growth appear so you
may need to do it on different days for different bushes.
6) Water well.
7) Please note that roses planted between October and
December will only be pruned the following year;
whereas those that are planted between February and
March will be pruned the next calendar year.
Important points to remember with regard to
growing roses:
a) Choose plants which are healthy, and have a bud or label
to know the colour of the flower.The bud can be removed
at the time of planting.
b) Avoid wetting the foliage and over-watering. During the
monsoons, see that no water accumulates around the base
of the plants.
c) Roses benefit from liquid cattle manure.This can be given
prior to watering once in 10 days.
d) Cut the blooms when they flower as this encourages the
plant to produce more blooms. I make sure to cut blooms
on a daily basis as soon as they open.Wilted flowers must
be cut off.
e) The smaller varieties of roses like Polyantha and Dwarf or
Miniature roses do well in large pots and do not need
much pruning.
f ) Bone meal is very useful to roses.
I hope this information will be useful to anyone who is as fond
of roses as I am. It is not really difficult, so for those of you
who are hesitating, I will say, “Go ahead and try, because if I
can, then so can you!”
42 January 2016
January 2016 43
A Rose by any Other Name…
~ Rangoli Wats
Hunwal T.E.