Dirt Doctor Weekly Newsletter

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, that 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. Being able to allow your nose to touch a rose to enjoy the texture and fragrance is reason enough to grow roses. Toxic chemicals such as pyrethroids, pyrethrum, copper sulfate, Orthene, Kelthane, diazinon, Dursban, Sevin, Bayleton, Daconyl or any other heavy metal or neurotoxin products. For best results with roses, here's the program that will make your rose growing successful and enjoyable:

 
 Ducher Rose


 
Lady Banks Rose

SELECTION
Some gardeners grow roses for the spectacular flowers, others for the beautiful shrubs. I like to do both. 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. Most all roses are easy to grow with the organic program. Some of my favorites are Knockout, Ducher, Climbing Pinkie, Katy Road Pink, Belinda’s Dream and Mutabalis or Butterfly Rose. But, there are hundreds of other great choices.

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. Add one of the mycorrhizal fungi products. Soak the bare roots or root ball in water with one tablespoon of Garrett Juice Plus 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 native tree trimmings 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 one ounce of Garrett Juice per gallon of water. If all that fails, just use tap water, but don't over water. Avoid using chemically imbalanced or salty well water if possible. If unavoidable, add compost tea, Garrett Juice or liquid humate to the irrigation water at every use.

FEEDING SCHEDULE (you will need some adjustment in timing if you live in colder climates than zone 8)

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   September 15-30:   Organic fertilizer @ 20 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft., sul-po-mag @ 20 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft. Apply alfalfa meal at 20 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft.


PEST CONTROL

·         Apply dry granulated garlic to the soil.

·         For disease control in general, spray roses with garlic pepper tea or the commercial product Plant Wash.

·         For insect pests, spray plant oil products, Garrett Juice Plus with 2 ounces of orange oil. Dust if necessary with natural diatomaceous earth from Soil Mender.

·         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 or visit DirtDoctor.com.

SPRAY PROGRAM

• Spray Garrett Juice Plus at least monthly.
• If pest problem exists, add 2 ounces of orange oil per gallon of spray.

If you have any questions regarding this newsletter or any other topic, join me for my radio show heard in Dallas/Fort Worth on Saturday at 11am and across the country on Sunday from 8 - 11am (CST). Radio.

To learn more on living a Natural Organic lifestyle, go to DirtDoctor.com.

Naturally yours,

Howard Garrett
The Dirt Doctor  
        

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