When Should You Trim a Rose of Sharon Bush?

Rose of Sharon or shrub althea (Hibiscus syriacus) flowers in the late summer, with large blooms that resemble hibiscus flowers -- unsurprisingly, since it is a member of the hibiscus family. Pruning keeps the plant's size in check and keeps the plant healthy. It takes on a sprawling, shrubby form, so gardeners can either prune annually for a manicured form or let the plant grow. Does this Spark an idea?

Time Frame

Gardeners should prune Rose of Sharon in the early spring, before the plant's leaves unfurl. When the branches are still bare, it's easier to see the wood, which helps you identify unhealthy wood so you can remove it and make cuts in the right places. Since Rose of Sharon blooms on growth from the current season, you aren't reducing the flower display by pruning in spring. Some gardeners may wish to trim the plants a second time in late spring, when the leaves have emerged, to thin out the flowers and promote larger blooms.

Considerations

Rose of Sharon does not need to be pruned annually, and you may wish to allow your shrub to grow into more of a sprawling form, or you may prefer to prune regularly to keep the shape compact. These shrubs naturally average 9 to 12 feet in height and 6 to 10 feet in width. How much and how frequently you trim depends on the size shrub you want.

Geography

Rose of Sharon grows in United States Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 5 to 8, and bears summer flowers in hues of white, purple or pink. It grows best in full sun. Native to Asia, this plant makes a nice landscape plant or summer-flowering hedge. This shrub develops a large number of blooms, and may drop several flowers before they bloom, notes Purdue University Extension's B. Rosie Lerner.

Pruning

First, remove broken, bent or dead branches, plus any wood that does not look healthy. Once you've done this, prune out branches that crisscross other branches or grow vertically up, interfering with other wood. Then step back from your plant and visualize the desired shape and size. Prune back the remaining branches to shape the tree, working one branch at a time with pruning shears, not hedge clippers. Clip back to a tissue node or a lateral branch. Rose of Sharon can be pruned back to a height of 2 or 3 feet and continue to thrive.

Tuff-Guard Extra Flexible, Kink Proof Garden Hose Assembly, Grey, 5/8" Male x Female GHT Connection, 5/8" ID, 50 Foot Length

Features

• 50-foot garden hose assembly for watering applications, washing vehicles, and other outdoor tasks
• Extruded three-ply construction with a polypropylene double helix exterior for stability to help resist kinks and knots
• Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) tube contains braided polyester core for flexibility and strength
• Machined brass male and female Garden Hose Thread (GHT) connections for spigot and nozzle attachments
• 100 pounds per square inch (psi) for maximum working pressure, 300 psi for burst pressure

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description

The Tuff-Guard 50-foot kink-proof garden hose assembly with 5/8" male and female Garden Hose Thread (GHT) connections is for use in watering and wash-down applications. The garden hose has a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) tube for increased flexibility and easy maneuvering around the garden, and its internal braided core is made out of two-ply spiral polyester fiber for added strength. A polypropylene double helix coils around the hoses exterior for dimensional stability that helps resist kinking and crushing to maintain full water pressure while compressed. The double helix design also helps protect the hose from abrasion, is weather resistant, and weighs less than traditional hoses for easier portability.

Heavy-duty brass ferrules connect the garden hose to its end connectors. The ferrules are internally expanded instead of crimped to the hose to preserve its 5/8" internal diameter for optimum water flow and to prevent leakage. The garden hose has a male GHT connection on one end for attaching sprayers or sprinklers and a female GHT connection on the opposite end of the hose for connecting to male-threaded water spigots. The connectors machined brass provides corrosion resistance and strength to prevent crushing, and their design permits wrench tightening and loosening. The garden hose has a maximum working pressure of 100 pounds per square inch (psi), a burst pressure of 300 psi, and a vacuum rating of 29 inches of mercury (inHg). It has a temperature range of -20 degrees F to 158 degrees F and comes with a one-year warranty for workmanship and material defects. This Tuff-Guard extra flexible garden hose is suitable for use in lawn watering applications, wash-down tasks at worksites or home residences, and various other uses.

JGB Enterprises Inc. manufactures industrial and hydraulic hoses, assemblies, and accessories. Founded in 1977, JGB Enterprises Inc. is headquartered in Liverpool, NY, and meets International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 standards.

How to Garden on a Slope

If your property contains a slope, you may have grumbled about problems with upkeep and erosion. However, a slope can make a dramatic setting for a rock garden or terraced planting. Work with the grade and orientation of the slope to highlight favorite plantings. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Evaluate the grade of your slope. A landscape professional can do this for you. A grade of less than three percent needs no special planning. A grade of three to 10 percent needs erosion control. A grade of 10 percent or more requires retaining walls.

2

Arrange planting rows parallel with the slope on slopes greater than three percent. Follow the natural curve of the hill.

3

Choose deep rooted, spreading specimens for your garden. For sunny slopes, use daylilies, honeysuckle or ice plants. For shady slopes, use lily-of-the-valley or periwinkle.

4

Install a drip irrigation system to reduce water runoff on the slope. Form a slight mound of soil and mulch beneath each plant on the downhill side to form a water-catching basin.

5

Hold the soil back while your plantings get established. Use weed fabric or black plastic. Cocoa bean mulch forms a permeable mat that resists washing away.

6

Save yourself hours of summer toil by eliminating lawn on your slope. If you must grow grass on your slope, mow from side to side.

7

Showcase the geography of your slope by installing a rock garden. The rocks will serve double duty as retaining walls. Rock garden specimens are low-growing and hardy. Plant rock rose, stonecress and wooly yarrow in sunny spots. Plant ferns, creeping phlox and violets in shady spots.

How to Keep Rose Blooms From Turning Brown

Proper care of roses can keep rose blooms from turning brown. Rose blooms turning brown early on the bush is usually due to fungal disease, lack of water, heat, nutrient deficiency or insects. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Water rose bushes once a day when temperatures reach 90 degrees F. Use a drip system for extreme heat or an overhead spray system in the evening or morning hours. If your roses are in a container, water twice a day. When shopping for rose bushes, buy heat and drought resistant varieties.

2

Enrich the soil around your rose bushes. If the soil has deteriorated, add compost and potting soil. Use a time-release granular fertilizer designed for rose bushes. The enriched soil should hold moisture more effectively and nourish the plant.

3

Spray aphids off your rose bush with a hose end sprayer with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Aphids suck moisture from the plant and spread disease. If your rose bush has brown leaves, it may be infested with the midge fly larvae. Prune off all infested parts of the plant and spray with neem oil to kill the larvae. Look for thrips and Japanese beetles inside the blooms and treat them with insecticide spray or neem oil.

4

Treat your rose bush for a fungal disease if blooms have brown tips when flowers open. Remove all diseased blooms and apply a rose bush fungicide from a garden center. Fungal disease on roses will need to be treated on a regular basis as it has no cure and often returns.

Womanswork 610vg Vegetable Garden Wheel

Features

• Interactive and fun to use
• With colorful plant photos
• Weatherproof plastic disks
• 10-1/2-Inch diameter
• More information on the back

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Chapin 20000 1-Gallon Lawn and Garden Sprayer

Features

• Chapin garden poly sprayer is ideal for fertilizers, weed killers and pesticides
• Chapin garden sprayer's funnel top opens for no mess filling with adjustable nozzle
• Translucent bottle allows for ease in checking fluid level
• Includes 12-inch straight wand, 28-inch reinforced hose, and 1-gallon tank
• Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Amazon.com
The Chapin 1-gallon lawn and garden poly sprayer is ideal for fertilizers, weed killers and pesticides. Built with the Clean 'N Easy design, this sprayer features the patented Sure Spray filter to help prevent clogging. The translucent 1-gallon bottle allows for easy monitoring of fluid levels and has a large, funnel top opening for no mess in mixing and cleaning. This sprayer is equipped with an adjustable nozzle an auto/manual high pressure relief valve, and a straight wand.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens: Revised Edition

Special Offer: check this out!

Related Products

Product Description
The treasures of the Huntington--literary, historic, artistic, and botanical--are captured in this beautiful volume. Lavishly illustrated with nearly 130 full-color photographs and containing a wealth of information about the collections, the book is both a pictorial treat and a fascinating resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the Huntington.