Shade cloth on roses-your opinions requested

6 months ago

Amazingly, we had a blessed interval of good weather here in Tuscany-for about 2 weeks we had what USED to be normal summer weather for Italy; that is, highs in the mid-8o's more or less,low humidity,even some rain. Alas, that has ended now,and we're back to the absurdly hot, humid weather coming from Africa that has been invading Italy on a regular basis since about the year 2000. Due to my hip replacement operation, I have had to rely on the generosity of my DH who has been helping me keep my new implants watered.( I've finally been able to accompany him out to our land ,but I'm not at all ready to do this work by myself) So far, so good-it seems- the roses LOVED the phase of good weather!- but now the forecast is for this horrible heat to continue for at least the next ten days.So yesterday, we put up some shade cloth over the most exposed rose bed. However, I must say that I worry now that it will shade them too much! It was late, and he had to get up early for work today, so we had to be fast,but I think they are pretty much completely shaded. And, no, sorry folks, but here in Italy I've only seen one kind of shade cloth that doesn't say how much shade it provides. It certainly does have little holes in it; it's not like a wooden roof or something. But I'd just like to hear if any of you have thoughts about this. Should I be trying to block out only the afternoon sun? But the sun is still so high in the sky! how to do that? Please share your opinions if you have time.Thanks in advance.

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roseseek

6 months ago

Congratulations on the new hip, Bart! May it heal quickly and perfectly! I agree about the shade cloth. I used to know a VERY "enthusiastic", successful exhibitor in Orange County, CA. Rosemary won every show she entered. She had walk-in florist refrigerators and MANY EZ Up shade structures to move around her garden to shade the potential show winners as they developed.

Sequoia used shade cloth over much of their sales area to reduce the heat on the potted minis. It worked. We don't get real "heat" here but the UV is extreme. For me to successfully grow young cuttings and mini roses in pots, I built small shade structures on long boards across saw horses where I can grow one to three gallon canned minis and larger roses until they are safe to upsize and move out into the full sun. The minis visibly suffer in the direct sun, even on days which begin with the extreme marine overcast, but shaded with standard nylon window screen, they flourish. I even use it over my seed tables to protect the small seedlings as they germinate and begin growing. Roses needed "full sun" in Edwardian and Victorian London when all those marvelous rose books were written, but they do substantially better in many places now in much less solar exposure.

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Comments (8)

stillanntn6b
6 months ago
A rosarian from Memphis Tennessee had words of common sense:

He grew roses where it was hot and humid and not many clouds in the heat of summer.

When asked how he grew so many beautiful blooms he said he had a secret that most couldn't work.

He had found that roses grew best for him where they got afternoon shade and he happened to have a row of tall trees and where they gave his yard afternoon shade they also gave him the best rose bushes and with the bushes the blooms came along.

Shade cloth is man's answer to "trees won't grow fast enough".
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Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
6 months ago
I would think that shade cloth could really help during your extremely hot days, Bart. Just leave it until temps abate. Here, I have placed pots on my homes North patio during extreme heat and it is working better than leaving them in more sun. I think plants baking to death is a real thing.

Good luck on your hip recovery.
User thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
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User
Original Author
6 months ago
Thank you both SO much,for both the advice and the good wishes.
ElfRosa
6 months ago
I think you've made a great choice, and I'd leave it in place until the weather changes. You might even see some quick new growth that will help you to know how much they appreciate the break from the heat! I use a lot of portable shade over my roses, although this summer has finally been cool enough I haven't had to do much of this! Ghislaine de Feligonde, which is normally a very pale apricot, has the most vibrant colors of pink and orange this year since it's not getting fried by the sun. I hope you heal up well and get cooler weather soon!
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Melissa Northern Italy zone 8
6 months ago
last modified: 6 months ago
Amen to the cooler weather part, as we too are suffering here further north.

I think the shading is probably a good idea. For a while now I've been nursing a fantasy of training the plant of 'Lamarque' that grows by the tomatoes over them to protect them from excess sun. It probably won't work as there's no depth of soil to support massive rose growth--but who knows, and the rose appears happy enough--however, all my roses like some shade.

Best wishes for a healthy convalescence, and many happy future years of gardening!
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User
Original Author
6 months ago
Once again, sincere thanks for your comments, support...and especially for the good wishes! My recovery seems so slow this time; the fact that it's summer certainly does not help; it's such a dreary, tedious season!

Roseseek, I couldn't agree more about the "full sun" thing. Here,alas, we've got the extreme heat plus the extreme UV. The way it's going, I think only cactuses will wind up tolerating full sun. It wasn't like this at all years ago.
roseseek
6 months ago
@User I feel for you. I was aware of the change occurring over a decade ago back in the Los Angeles area. I'd always planted my rose seeds the week of Thanksgiving as that's traditionally when the weather cooled into the range rose seeds prefer and the rains began. They KNOW the difference between rain and hose water. Only, the temps began remaining in the 80s and above instead of falling into the 70s and the rains didn't come. When they did, they were fractions of "normal" and the temps didn't even out well, either.
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