To celebrate Knight’s Roses 60 years of operation, you are invited to join in the celebrations and attend our Rose and Garden Open Days!

More information about these exciting events will follow but for now SAVE THE DATE:

Saturday 6th May

Saturday 17th June

Saturday 29th July

As Australian Agents for world-famous rose breeders – Harkness of England, Rosen Tantau of Germany, Guillot Rosa Generosa of France and James Cocker and Sons of Scotland – we are very proud to introduce exceptional new release roses each year onto the Australian market. Remarkably, the demand for top quality roses just keeps on growing!

Shop online and pre-order now to avoid disappointment. Visit our website www.knightsroses.com.au or phone 1300 1ROSES or (08) 8523 1311.

We hope that you enjoy our Autumn Newsletter and thank you for your support. As usual, if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Daniel Knight

Roses are a favourite choice for the garden because they are easy to grow and maintenance is relatively simple. The frequent balmy days, particularly later in autumn, are ideal for producing a magnificent autumn flush of high quality, colourful flowers. Here are a few tips to care for your roses.

1. Watering

It is essential to maintain a regular and thorough watering regime. We can be easily misled by milder days and cooler nights. However, the average March and April rainfalls are generally insufficient to maintain healthy Autumn growth in our roses. Like summer, it is best to look at the forward weather forecast for the next 7 days. If the weather forecast is for warm to hot and dry conditions, hydrating roses with a weekly thorough irrigation is recommended. If rain accompanied by lower-than-average temperatures occurs, irrigation may be halted for a period and recommenced when a dry, warm to hot period is forecast.

Generally, irrigation is needed until the opening seasonal rains occur late April – early May. If unsure whether watering is required, scratch down 3 to 5cm below the ground under a rose plant. If dry at this depth, apply water immediately. Remember, the rose has many roots just below the surface and these can dry out, hindering optimum performance.

Roses in pots also require regular watering during the autumn months.

2. Mulch

The mulch which was applied late spring or early summer will be breaking down in autumn and its thickness reducing. Providing sufficient mulch was initially applied, adequate cover will remain to reduce evaporation, continue to cool the roots and feed the earth worms and beneficial microbes in the soil during autumn. However, if all mulch has disappeared, a fresh application of Neutrog’s Whoflungdung (a certified organic mulch) in early autumn is recommended. This mulch is biologically activated, nutrient rich and weed free. It comes in convenient 20kg compressed bales and can be taken to and easily spread where it’s needed.

3. Flowering

Autumn is an excellent flowering period for roses. A light, late summer or early autumn trim will ensure a great flush of flowers around 55 days later. This trim is simply removing the spent summer blooms and a portion of the stem down to a healthy pin-head sized bud nestled between the leaf and stem. Stem removed is generally around 15 – 30cm. Importantly, this is a trim and not a prune and sufficient foliage must remain to avoid exposing the stems to sunburn.

The summer – autumn trim is far more effective if it is completed two or three weeks after an application of Neutrog Sudden Impact for Roses. Don’t be concerned if autumn colours are different to spring colours of the same variety. The on-set of cooler nights and less sunlight through autumn often produces more intense colours in some varieties.

The next newsletter reminds us to “brush up” on our rose pruning skills. Come along to the free Rose Pruning Demonstrations being run by experienced rose pruners from the Rose Society of SA. These are “hands-on” workshops so bring your gloves and secateurs and practice with the help of experts.

The first rose pruning demonstration will be Sunday, 18 June, from 1.30pm to approx. 3pm at Carrick Hill. Opportunity to also enjoy lunch, tea and coffee. The second demonstration will be at the International Rose Garden, Adelaide Botanic Garden on Sunday, 25 June at 12.30pm to approx. 3pm. This workshop will cover pruning all types of roses, including climbers, arches, standards and bush roses.

The third will be a pruning demonstration held by Roses In the Heartland group scheduled for Sunday 9th July, 1pm to 3pm at 3 Para Road, Evanston Gardens (Gawler) with refreshments available and donations supporting SA Cancer Council. Enquiries: https://sarose.org.au

When it comes to fertilising roses – do you use pellets OR liquid fertiliser? Knight’s Roses and many members of the Rose Society of SA use and recommend Neutrog’s Sudden Impact for Roses launched in 2001 and now Australia’s top selling rose fertiliser. Sudden Impact for Roses pellet form has an organic base which provides a full range of plant nutrients in a slow-release form, whilst the carefully selected water-soluble nutrients have been added to maximise the performance of each application. The balance and ratio of nutrients combined with the very best of raw materials are the secret to its success. The organic raw materials are conditioned utilising a unique composting process and once completed, the water-soluble nutrients are carefully blended into the organic base before being pasteurised and pelleted. Applying Sudden Impact for Roses can increase the abundance and quality of flowers, improve plant vigour and, importantly, improve the health of the plants, with increased resistance to fungal diseases such as black spot, rust and powdery mildew, resulting in less spraying. Sudden Impact Liquid Concentrate fertiliser is optimal for established rose plants experiencing immediate stress from lack of nutrients. They provide a quick boost of plant food in the short term, usually requiring re-application on a regular basis.

Contact Knight’s Roses for more information : 1300 1 ROSES or (08) 8523 1311