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ORGANIC ROSE PROGRAM

Roses 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, here's the program:

SELECTION

Buy and plant well-adapted roses for your area. The old roses will have the largest and most vitamin C filled hips. Rosa rugosa roses have the most vitamin C.

PLANTING

Prepare beds by mixing the following into existing soil to form a raised bed: 6” compost, ½” lava sand, ½” expanded shale, ½” of decomposed granite, 30 lbs. zeolite and 20 lbs. of sul-po-mag per 1,000 sq. ft. Apply one of the mycorrhizal fungi products. Soak the bare roots or root ball in water with one tablespoon of Garrett Juice per gallon. Settle the soil around plants with water - no tamping.

MULCHING

After planting, cover all the soil in the beds with one inch of compost or earthworm castings followed by 2-3" of shredded mulch. Do not pile the mulch up on the stems of the roses.

WATERING

If possible, save and use rainwater. If not, add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 oz. Garrett Juice per gallon of water. If all that fails, just use tap water, but don't over water. Avoid using salty well water if possible.

FEEDING SCHEDULE

Round #1  February 1-15: organic fertilizer @ 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft., lava sand at 80 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft. and horticultural cornmeal at 10 -20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft.

Round #2  June 1-15: organic fertilizer @ 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft., greensand @ 40 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft. or rock phosphate at 30 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft. if in acid soil areas.

Round #3  September15-30: organic fertilizer @ 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft., sul-po-mag @ 20 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft. Apply alfalfa meal or other organic fertilizer at 30 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft.

PEST CONTROL

Apply dry granulated garlic to the soil.

• For disease control in general, spray roses with garlic tea or mild vinegar solution.
• For insect pests, spray plant oil products, Garrett Juice, and Bio Wash. Dust if necessary with  natural diatomaceous earth.
• 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.