Rose Blue Nile - characteristics of a varietal flower

Rosa Blue Nile was created in France in 1981 by Delbar. In its short history, the bred variety has been repeatedly awarded with various international awards.

Grade description

Despite the name, the rose has a lilac-blue color. The bud of the plant is quite large, in the opened state it can reach 12 cm in diameter and due to this it looks great on thin and long stems. As a rule, one flower grows on a peduncle, rarely the number reaches four pieces. An adult bush can grow up to 1.5 m in height and a little more than 1 m in width. But the final size of the plant depends on the weather conditions of the area where it is planted. If in a hot climate you can not do pruning, then in cold regions it is recommended to cut the stems at a height of 75 cm.

Rose Blue Nile

Blue Nile belongs to the hybrid tea blue rose family. And thanks to its tea aroma with notes of citrus and fruit, as well as due to its unpretentiousness, many gardeners managed to please. The rose blooms twice between the beginning of summer and the end of September and can be used as a garden decoration, as a filling of landscape design and as a cut flower.

Before deciding on a choice, you should familiarize yourself with its advantages and disadvantages in advance. The pluses include:

• rather rare color of buds;
• pleasant and strong aroma;
• frost resistance;
• excellent decorative appearance of the bush, allowing its wide use in landscape design;
• the ability to cut flowers into bouquets;
• unpretentious in leaving.

By cons include: a large number of thorns on the stem, poor resistance to various diseases, in regions with cold winters, reliable shelter of the bush is required, does not like rainy weather.

Since the hybrid was originally grown for these purposes, it is ideally suited to different styles of landscape design.

Basic growing requirements

It is possible to grow a rose from seeds, but this is a long and complicated process. Therefore, the main option will be considered - the germination of seedlings.

The appearance of an adult plant will depend on the quality of planting material, so the choice should be taken responsibly. When choosing a seedling, you first need to pay attention to the following:

• if there are very long and pale shoots, then the plant may be diseased;
• the root system must be well developed;
• the stem should be strong and have a pronounced green color;
• there should be no buds open;
• stalks on the shoot must be at least two.

In order for the rose to bloom well, seedlings must be prepared in advance. This is best done in early spring. To do this, they should be stored in a cool room in moist soil or sand. Under such conditions, plants wait May or June (depending on the climatic conditions of the region), and then transplanted into the open ground. The earth should be warmed up to 12 ° С. Do not delay with a transplant, since a young plant does not tolerate heat well.

In order for the tea-hybrid blue rose to feel good on the site, you need to prepare the territory for planting in advance. It is better to choose a place protected from the wind, but at the same time sunny. You can plant a plant next to any building or tall plantations, except for cherries, pears, raspberries and mountain ash. The rose does not get along well with them.

The soil must be loosened and fertilized in advance. In order for the plant to take root and not die in the winter, it should be planted in the spring. Closer to the beginning of winter, it is recommended to fertilize the soil with humus or manure.

For proper cultivation of a seedling, you should adhere to a certain sequence for transplanting it into open ground. The pit is prepared in such a size that, when the plants are immersed in it, the roots feel free and do not bend. Then a mixture of sand, fertilizers and soil is poured there. The resulting layer is well spilled with water. The seedling is placed in a hole and filled up. The soil around the planting is compacted and a small earthen filling is made in a circle so that the water flows better to the roots. To protect the lower buds from unpleasant surprises, the stem additionally spuds.

Plant care

Care requires some nuances.

Watering

It is necessary to water the Blue Nile Rose rarely, but carefully. Drying of the earth is not allowed. Under standard weather conditions, watering is done at room temperature once a week. One bush takes about 5 liters of water. When summers are hot and dry, watering increases. Pour water in a thin stream so that the root system is not damaged and the liquid does not get on the leaves and buds, otherwise a fungus may form on them.

Watering

Top dressing

In the first year after transplanting into open ground, fertilizing the plant is not required. The following year, after pruning the flower, the soil is carefully spilled and fertilized. It is necessary to apply dry mineral fertilizers, which are mixed with the soil. After top dressing is added to the ground, it is watered again, and then manure or humus is added. Additionally, you can fertilize the rose during the ovary buds. It is not necessary to fertilize the soil during flowering. This can be done in the fall before preparing for winter.

Pruning and transplanting

In order for the rose to be healthy and bloom well, it needs timely pruning. The following types are available:

• spring. Before the procedure, the bush is thoroughly inspected, frozen after winter and broken branches are removed. In a cold climate, the stems are trimmed to 70 cm, in a hot climate - up to 150 cm;
• summer. To facilitate the growth of roses, wilted flowers are removed;
• autumn. Broken, damaged and too long stems are removed, and the plant is prepared for winter.

In order for the bush to bloom magnificently, it is recommended to transplant it once every couple of years. This procedure is best performed in April or September. In summer, you can transplant the plant in case of emergency:

• if the flower was originally planted in loose soil, then the root system will rise to the surface, and the bush may die;
• if the soil is extremely depleted, in connection with which the rose does not bloom;
• when the bush has grown too wide. In this case, it is enough to cut off and transplant a part of the plant.

Winter preparations

Although this rose variety has good frost resistance, the flower should be covered in too severe frosts. The stems remaining after pruning are covered with a thick layer of dry grass and leaves, and additionally can be covered with fir branches. If the winter is very cold, then over the bush you need to make a frame and cover with plastic wrap.

Flowering roses

Active flowering of the Blue Nile falls on the period from June to November. During these months, the rose blooms profusely without interruption. After this comes a period of rest. For a plant to bloom well, it needs proper care.

Bloom

Before the appearance of the buds, fertilizer with potassium-phosphorus additives is produced. During the formation of the flower, the plant must be fed with organic fertilizing. Fertilizers with potassium, sulfur and phosphorus are used during the flowering phase, and with phosphorus and nitrogen twice in the fall. To improve the development of the root system, the first buds that appear are cut off. During the flowering period, the rose is watered abundantly.

It happens that, despite all the care measures, the plant still does not bloom. It is worth considering the main reasons because of which the buds do not open:

• lack of nutrients;
• excess nitrogen in the soil;
• improper watering;
• lack of lighting;
• incorrect pruning;
• pests and diseases.

Blue Nile Rose Propagation

Propagation of this variety is carried out by cuttings. It is better to harvest cuttings immediately after the first flowering. Eight centimeter branches with a pair of leaves are cut from the central part of the stem. The lower cut is done at an angle, and the upper straight. In order for the root system to grow actively, before planting the cuttings are immersed for 20 hours in a solution of sodium humate or root. After this time, wash off with water and transplanted into a container or open ground.

Cuttings

For the substrate, river sand or a mixture of sand with peat is used. The cuttings are planted at an angle to a depth of about 2 cm and then covered with a film. Seedlings are moistened several times a day by spraying. If everything is done correctly, then in a month roots should appear. After this, the film is removed, and the cuttings are fed with a urea solution for two weeks.

Diseases and Pests

To prevent the Blue Nile rose from being exposed to powdery mildew and gray rot, it is enough to carry out preventive measures: in the spring, when the first leaves appear, the bush is sprayed with soda solution. Subsequent treatment twice a week until early July.

Against green aphids, tincture of soap solution in wormwood will help well. The resulting mixture is boiled and filtered, after which the resulting solution is processed by the plant once a week until the parasites completely disappear.

Aphid

Variety Blue Nile for an amateur. The unusual color of the buds, of course, is beautiful, but there are also difficulties in leaving. To choose it for landing or not, everyone decides for himself. In any case, before planting, you need to familiarize yourself with the description of the variety and comply with all requirements for cultivation.