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Program Rose Organic


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Organic Rose Program
 

ORGANIC ROSE PROGRAM

Roses are actually easy to grow and should only be grown organically since they are one of the best medicinal and culinary herbs in the world. When they are loaded with toxic pesticides and other chemicals, this use is gone, or at least, it should be. Drinking rose hip tea or using rose petals in teas or salads sprayed with synthetic poisons is a really bad idea. For best results with roses of any kind, here's the organic program that really works.


SELECTION

Buy and plant well-adapted roses for your area. Old roses will have the largest and most vitamin C filled hips. They are also the most fragrant and the best looking bushes for landscape use. However, any roses can be grown with this program.

PLANTING

Prepare rose beds by mixing the following into existing soil to form a raised bed: 6” compost, ½” lava sand, ½” of decomposed granite, 20 lbs. of dry molasses, 20 lbs. of whole ground cornmeal, 30 lbs. zeolite and 20 lbs. of sul-po-mag  per 1,000 sq. ft.  Remove all the soil from the root balls and soak the bare roots in water with Garrett Juice and one of the mycorrhizal fungi products such as OrganaMax per label directions. Spread roots out radiating from the trunk and settle the soil around plants with water. For root stimulation, Garrett Juice and Bio S.I. can be added to the soaking water or added when watering in the plants. Use the products at the same mixing rates used for spraying.

MULCHING

After installing the plants, cover all the soil in the beds with  ½ - 1 inch of compost or earthworm castings followed by 2 - 3" of shredded native tree trimmings mulch. Do not pile the mulch up on the stems of the roses.

WATERING

If possible, save and use rainwater for irrigation. If not, add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water or Garrett Juice at half spray mix rate.

FEEDING SCHEDULE

Round #1: organic fertilizer or dry molasses @ 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft.,  zeolite @ 40 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft. and whole ground cornmeal at 10 - 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft.

Round #2: organic fertilizer @ 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft., greensand @ 40 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft., soft rock phosphate or Flora Stim at 30 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft.

Round #3: organic fertilizer such as alfalfa meal @ 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft., and sul-po-mag @ 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft.

The timing should be early spring, early summer, and fall. Exact timing is not critical and you can actually apply organic fertilizer any month of the year.

PEST CONTROL

  • Apply dry granulated garlic to the soil.
  • For insect pest and disease control in general, spray roses every 30 days with Garrett Juice and garlic tea or Bio Wash.
  • For thrips, apply beneficial nematodes to the soil in early spring or when foliage begins to grow. 
  • For more information, read Texas Gardening –The Natural Way.





 

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