Monty Justice Applies Liquid Carbon to his Roses

Want to know when to Prune your Roses?  Well me, too.  And when I need to know ANYTHING about roses, I check with Monty Justice.    He is one of the co-founders of Monty’s Plant Food Company, a frequent rose judge, columnist, and owner of his own rose care company. Oh, and did I mention that he is an octogenarian?!  So, when he speaks…I listen.

Here is his advice on pruning roses.  (note:  He lives in Kentucky.  You may need to modify your schedule slightly to accomodate your particular growth zone)  Just bear in mind that pruning should be done between the FIRST blooom cycle and before NEW SPRING growth appears.

In the fall, crowns and bud unions should be just below ground.  You can do what I call “pre-pruning” after a frost or temperatures in the 30 degree F. range before the plants are dormant.  Remove damaged, twiggy, crossover stems and foliage, a foot or more from the ground.  Also open up the congested middle by taking out one cane to the ground.  You can do this when temperatures are moderate.  Do nothing to the length of remaining stems or leaves.  Continue to add Monty’s 2-15-15 every time you spray.

 Before the soil warms and new growth begins, (March) do a final pruning – remaining leaves and buds, and tiny laterals at the top of each rose plant.  Seek a uniform height by shortening stems above five feet.

 Begin spraying with your accustomed fungicide and insecticide when the buds are pea size and or the “purplish-red” leaves are turning green.  Disease and insects will not attack until this change takes place.  Add one tablespoon of both vinegar and epsom salts plus one half teaspoon Monty’s 2-15-15 to each gallon of spray material.  No need to add a spreader sticker if Monty’s is added.  The humics in Monty’s takes the pesticides and nutrients into the plant effectively through the leaves and buffers the potential for burn or other damage. The vinegar acidifies the solution making the pesticides retain their viability for an extra day or two.

            Magnesium is significantly important and provides three specific benefits.  

• It boosts the efficiency of photosynthesis and makes the process of turning sunshine into energy more effective. 
• It also keeps the lower leaves darker green at least until they are shaded by the foliage above
• It helps the plant metabolize other nutrients.

 Using the spray nozzle apply Monty’s Liquid Carbon soil conditioner on the rose bed four times at a rate of 2 ounces per 1,000 square feet.  Allow one month between each application for any source of water to take the humic material into the soil.  This treatment is most effective on clay soils.  Do not use if soil has already been conditioned more than six inches deep with compost etc.

 At the end of the first bloom cycle, (May-June) remove all lateral stems that did not bloom and cut back all canes to a desired thickness (one quarter inch).

             In summary, your larger plant size will have increased roots.  The abundance of leaves will increase the energy and vigor of the plant.  Removing a goodly percentage (25 to 40 percent) of the stem and foliage creates an imbalance between roots and the top growth.  This will result in increased vigor, new larger canes, and more blooms for the remaining season.

             Although I’ve not done this with Fortuniana rooted roses, I can see no reason it will not do as well as other root stock.

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