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What fundamentals do I need to know about your climate?
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Posted by silver Melbourne, VIC (My Page) on Mon, Jul 31, 06 at 0:03
| I've been growing roses for 10 years, mainly antiques and Austins. Although I'm always eager to learn, I feel I have the basics down and know what works for me in my zone.
Until now.
You see, all my rose growing was done in Seattle, and now here I am in Melbourne. The climates could not be more different! So I guess I'm pretty much starting from scratch.
What advice would you give me - and I'm talking about the most basic, fundamental things - to help me ease into rose growing in this climate? I've already bought 20 Austins and potted them up with a top-dressing of manure and alfalfa (lucerne?) mulch last season - which is what I'd do at home (although I'd be protecting them from the snow at home!). I pruned them by half last week and they're responding with new growth already so I'm happy I haven't done anything cataclysmic and hoping to get them in the ground soon.
I appreciate any advice you can send my way.
At your feet,
Silver |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: What fundamentals do I need to know about your clim
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Welcome to Aus. From what i have heard, not all David Austin roses are suitable to grow in our climate, BUT the thing is that David Austin only introduces the ones that ARE suitable here. You will quite likely find you can't obtain some of the DA's you grew previously.
It sounds to me like you are doing the right thing. Have you been here long enough to experience the full cycle of seasons? You should look into the likelihood of water restrictions and decide how you are going to handle them. Maybe a dripper system for watering your hoses is that is permitted, or it could perhpas be set up to use your grey water from the laundry and shower? I barely water mine, but have heavy clay loam soil and a fairly kind climate (Central Highlands, north of Ballarat - good evenly spread rainfall)
Roses do grow well in Melbourne. I am sure you will be very successful. If you get a chance, visit Werribee park, and the David Austin Garden at Bulla. Probably plenty of other places to see roses in bloom.
Cheers, Jan |
RE: What fundamentals do I need to know about your clim
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Welcome to Melbourne. Only a brave soul would venture to tell you about our climate, it's unreliable to say the least. But judging from what I've read about growing roses in the States, we've probably got it easy.
As Jan says, the main difficulty is water. Watering is usually essential in February and March. I'm new to roses, but I'm starting to think that full sun, all day in Melbourne's summer is a bit too much for some. The heat is very dry, but then some years we don't have many sunny hot days. The dry heat probably helps keep mildew and bs down to a dull roar most of the time. The generally milder summer also seems to avoid the summer rest that roses have in warmer climates.
There's no need to worry about dramatic weather events, no hurricanes, no floods, no volcanoes.
Aphids are a curse all year, if you have roses that keep their leaves. Thrip don't seem to be a problem in my garden. There are no gophers, no deer but watch out for possums, they love new growth and they live everywhere in Melbourne.
For more detailed, and expert, advice you could join the Rose Society.
Another good spot to see Austins growing is the rose garden at The Briars in Mt Martha. They also sell a wider range of Austins than most nurseries and are happy to chat about rose growing.
Enjoy your new garden.
Sue |
RE: What fundamentals do I need to know about your clim
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| First of all, a big welcome to Melbourne! My son and I both say we live in Melbourne but we are 90 kms apart and our garden soil and rainfall are quite different. Personally I would be putting your roses in the ground now mulching them heavily. Silky Gardens at Kilmore is a wonderful nursery where you can get healthy plants and great advice. Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden at Bulla has a garden club which may interest you if you are in that area - 10 minutes from Tullamarine airport. |
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