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Walt Disney World Resort guests have ample opportunity to stop
and smell the roses at the 2004 Epcot International Flower &
Garden Festival April 16 to June 6. Hundreds of different rose varieties
showcasing an array of vibrant colors and sweet aromas are on display
during the festival. Throughout the rose beds, signs detail the
history of roses throughout the centuries. The Rose Walk between
Future World and World Showcase is designed each year as "Flower
& Garden Festival central." The walkway, which connects
World Showcase and Future World along World Showcase Promenade,
overflows with gorgeous roses of all varieties.
Maintaining the resorts' rose plants keeps Walt Disney World gardeners
very busy throughout the year. It's a prickly job, but with more
than 13,000 rose plants at their fingertips, Disney horticulturists
are planting, pruning, fertilizing and rooting to guarantee the
best blooms and biggest splashes of color for guests. Making sure
the plants are "show ready" means following gardener guidelines.
Here are a few rose care "secrets" from Disney experts:
Planting: Roses need a very sunny location to
produce fuller bushes, blooms and growth. Pick a spot for planting
that has sun all day long. To plant, dig a hole just a bit larger
than the root ball. Add a bit of peat moss to the hole to encourage
root growth. Plant the rose at ground level, not too deep. Use a
stake -- roses tend to be wobbly when they are newly grafted, and
the stake provides critical support. Fertilize around the root ball
and water to dissolve the particles before mulching the planting
bed.
Pruning: Walt Disney World roses are cut back
in spring (for an Easter show) and in early fall (for the holidays).
Roses should be cut back at least once a year. Cut dead blooms off
three-leaf clusters above the last cut on the stem and well below
the bloom. This provides plenty of room for new blooms and gives
the bush vertical space to grow. When pruning the bush for shape,
clip cross-over branching from the center to promote a stronger
bush. Prune bush about 15 inches from ground level into an open
"cup" shape to promote air flow and reduce disease vulnerability.
Fertilizer: Regular fertilization is a must, and several commercial
fertilizers are formulated just for roses. On most roses, Disney
gardeners use 10-5-8; promoting both foliage and flower.
Pests: The biggest problem Disney gardeners encounter
with roses are the Red Spider Mite during the dry season and Black
Spot during the rainy season. Using a miticide on an "as needed"
basis and rotating fungicides weekly will control both problems.
Biocontrol methods such as predatory mites are being used with excellent
results in controlling the Red Spider Mite in Disney rose beds.
When spraying miticide, remember to spray under the leaves where
bugs tend to cluster.
Rootstock: In Florida, there are two rootstocks
that are recommended for rose growers -- Fortuniana and Dr. Huey.
Plantings grown in these rootstocks should improve your chances
for success and minimize your odds of small worms like nematodes
becoming a pest.
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