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Hybrid Wichuraianas and Hybrid Poly-: Wichuraiana
Under no circumstances should the canes remain uncut on any imported climbers of winter or early spring planting, and the course above suggested cannot be recommended, though if it succeed with any varieties it should do so with the Wichuraiana or Polyanthas. With two- and three-year-old dormant American field-grown plants there is an even chance of success. Most certainly it would be well to give such plants special care, for example, the use of liquid manure as suggested in "Cultivation."
It is not necessary except in the extreme North to give winter protection to the canes of the hardy climbers; however, if they die back, bend them down to the ground in the future and cover with waterproof building paper and earth before the severe frosts set in.
In "Roses and Rose Growing, "* Miss Kingsley suggests for special effect cutting out all the old wood on Wichuraiana and training the pliant, new canes over wire frames in the shape of arches. Undoubtedly very pretty effects could be obtained by this method. She also states that the Banksias, some of the Multifloras, and one Noisette, Fortune's Yellow, "only flower on the sub-laterals, i. e., on wood three years old." It will be readily understood how easily the above-named climbers could be spoiled by unintelligent pruning. * "Roses and Rose Growing," by ROSE G. KINGSLEY (The Macmillan Co.). Hybrid Tea and Hybrid Perpetual Climbers (other than sports) and tender Hybrid Polyantha Climbers, such as Cecile Brunner, should be treated on somewhat the same principle as the Wichuraiana Climbers. The difference is that their wood winter kills more easily, and therefore no thinning out of old canes should be done before spring, and then only when such canes crowd the new growths. The laterals on main canes should be cut back to from two to four eyes.
Climbing sports of dwarf roses, Tea Climbers and Noisettes should be pruned more sparingly. Old canes should only be removed as they become profitless, laterals but slightly shortened unless they are crowded. In the case of all climbers better results will be obtained if they are carefully and systematically trained and fastened in place. Most Hybrid Tea Climbers, Noisettes, and all the Teas need winter protection, as above described.
For all climbers, on account of the greater evaporation due to their larger growth, much more water is necessary than for dwarfs.
The peat moss mulch, noted later, is strongly recommended.
In the extreme North the summer thinning of the wood of the hardy climbers is advocated by some authorities so that the canes left will become thoroughly matured. EVERY one cannot have an ideal location for roses, yet given enough sunlight it is astonishing what fine results may be obtained in a small bed bordering on a path or road should no lawn space be available. Too much shade will not give good results and the roots of trees are very detrimental to rose growth.
Unless the trees overhang the beds, if you believe your plants will get direct sunlight at least half the day-there being no other place available-the chances are that your bed will succeed, but you must protect the rose roots from the roots of the trees.
As a general rule a tree sends out roots in a circumference the radius of which equals its height, but the roots near the outer edge of the circumference are small and can be cut without injury to the tree; nevertheless where tree roots once grew they will come back again, and it is imperative that the roses be protected from them. The simplest and cheapest way is to line the outside of your rose bed with boards, but as these rot it is only a question of time before the tree roots will again force their way into the space reserved for the roses, so the boards must be renewed. The best way is to put in a small wall of concrete four inches in thickness, which will protect the bed for all time from this interference of tree roots. Mr. E. M. Rosenbluth, of Wallingford, Pennsylvania, lines the sides of his beds with coated galvanized iron, while Mr. Maurice Fuld, of New York, suggests lime used as a concrete wall, not only to protect from roots, but also to give lime to the soil. Providing the roses get at least half a day's sunlight and the tree roots do not interfere, the bed can be successfully made as above proposed. The ideal location is a south to southeast exposure, especially with a windbreak on the north and northwest sides from which the coldest winter winds come. Windbreaks may be in the form of trees, houses, or anything which will stop the direct force of the cold, bleak winds. Roses will do well even on a north slope if they get the sun and are properly cared for. Worse than a north slope is low land, which is not and cannot be easily drained, and where roses will get more late frost than they will on the exposed hillside.
Having looked over the ground and selected, in accordance with the general working directions given above, the most suitable place for the roses, consider next the shape of the bed, the extent of space to be given to it and the number of plants it will accommodate. Unless formal or landscape gardening is desired the most practical form of bed for roses is one three to three and a half feet wide, as explained under planting, and long enough to accommodate the number of plants desired when they are spaced at an average distance of twenty inches, center to center.* Some of the weaker growing roses will do better if set only fifteen inches apart, while the stronger growing varieties should be placed as far apart as three feet; but for a working rule, unless you expect to order only the very largest roses, an allowance of twenty inches will be found to give roughly the number of plants which the bed will hold. On Multiflora allow a trifle more.
Having decided on the number of plants, consider what steps are necessary to make the beds properly and have them in absolute readiness for the arrival of the plants. Then proceed with the actual ordering of the varieties, instructions for which will be found in the following chapter. The beds should be made some weeks before planting to allow for settling and if they should have settled too much below the ground level additional soil may be added, although to conserve moisture the actual finished level of the * "Pictorial Practical Rose Growing," by Wright, gives four very clever sketches for formal rose gardens. "Gardens for Small Country Houses," by Gertrude Jekyll and Lawrence Weaver, would be a great help to any one desiring to do more than lay out a few beds. bed should be two inches below the surface of the adjacent ground.
The matter of soil, or of the best composition of soil, for the rose bed is a very interesting one, and when a person wishes to go into rose growing on a large scale, beds should be constructed for each particular kind of rose. Pemberton goes most thoroughly into this subject of soils; any one contemplating the planting of a large collection of roses will do well to study his chapter on soils. He advocates for roses, where autumn blooms are desired, from forty to seventy per cent. of clay in the bed, and this statement of his has been borne out by our experiments with different soils.
The most complete and technical book on this subject which we have found is: "Soils," Lyon and Fippin; L. H. Bailey, editor.
A rule which seems to be endorsed by all rosarians is that Hybrid Perpetuals and the stronger Hybrid Teas do better in clay, and the weaker Hybrid Teas and Teas are more certain to thrive in soil containing some sand.
Until his death, the late Mr. Frederick W. Taylor, of Philadelphia, conducted a great many interesting and exhaustive experiments with different kinds of soils, particularly in relation to the growing of grass but to some extent in testing roses. Some of his