CHB A&P Show: Time to prepare rose bushes for competition-worthy blooms

Champion Rose will be judged from the first-placegetters in all classes.

It’s time to get your roses competition ready for the CHB A&P Show Rose Competition on November 9, sponsored by Hatuma Lime Company.

During the main growing period (spring to autumn), maintain a mulch of compost, leaf mould or grass clippings around the base of the plants to help conserve moisture and control weeds.

Heavy watering will encourage the roots to go deeper, so that plants can tolerate longer periods of dryness. This approach is preferable to frequent light sprinkling, which promote shallow roots close to the surface. To help minimise disease, water roses in the morning and water around the base of the plant rather than over the foliage.

Remove spent flowers from roses regularly to keep the bush tidy and promote more flowers, and feed the bushes each week from spring to autumn to keep them healthy and flourishing.

Prune and remove any black spot-affected leaves from the plant and on the ground. Spray the bush thoroughly with a fungicide to help control the disease and stop the spread.

When cutting blooms, make cuts about 6mm above an eye and slanting back slightly behind the bud. Roses keep best if cut late in the afternoon when it’s cool. Place them in a bucket of water overnight for arranging in the morning.

Roses to be entered in the CHB A&P Show Rose Competition need to be presented at the judging venue, the A&P Industrial Hall, 26 Mitchell St, Waipukurau, by 9am on Saturday, November 9.

Containers for exhibiting the roses will be provided by the show, pizes will be awarded for first, second and third in every class, and Champion Rose will be judged from the first-placegetters in all classes.

The competition is free to enter, and the categories in the open section are: hybrid tea rose, one bloom, any colour; floribunda rose, one stem, any colour; old fashioned rose, one stem, any colour; miniature rose, one stem, any colour; and one full bloom on stem, any colour.

Children’s categories are: 5 years and under, fairy garden in a saucer; 6-13 years, aqua jar.