​Spider Mites are not insects but minute arachnid relatives of spiders that live on the underside of rose foliage. The first sign of spider mites will be a lightening of the lowest foliage as the mites suck the sap from the leaves and other tender parts and can eventually defoliate the plant. You may also see many little webs (webbing) and eggs on the underside of the leaves. You can check for spider mites with a sheet of white paper. Shake damaged leaves over the paper in the sun. If tiny, rusty dots start to move, you have spider mites.
 
Controlling spider mites with chemicals can be used, but there are two alternative methods. The first choice is to select rose cultivars that have good spider mite resistance. Second, you can use a water wand with a rose-head attachment (like a showerhead) to wash off the underside of the rose foliage every one or two days until there is no problem. It works, so be sure to try it for at least a couple of weeks before selecting spider mite chemicals, which are the third option. There are several miticides available, some more effective than others. Miticides that do not kill the spider mite eggs must be sprayed at frequent intervals for three weeks to eliminate the mature and hatching mites. Eggs will hatch in two to three days at 75 degrees and above. Insecticidal soap and insecticidal oils also work for the control of spider mites. Remove the affected foliage before spraying and direct the spray material to the underside of the foliage.
 
 Mites can become resistant to a chemical, and it may be necessary to change miticides from time totime. Spraying before winter protection is advisable as mites winter over in sheltered spots in the garden. Because insecticides used for other rose pests also kill the natural enemies of spider mites, diminish the use of broad-spectrum insecticides and only spray insecticides when necessary. 

The annual Utah Rose Society rose show offers rose lovers the opportunity to display their
home-grown roses to the public. In the Rose Show Schedule you will find 4 Divisions of competition that will allow you to be creative in the way that you show your roses.

Division I is “Special Challenge & Collection Classes” and contains 13 classes

• The first class is the Bloom Cycle for Hybrid Tea or Grandiflora and Miniature or Miniflora roses.
  
• The next class is called the English Box where six roses are presented in a box supplied by the Rose Society.
  
• The following class is Three Blooms shown in a single container.
  
• Then comes Three Sprays of the same or different varieties that are exhibited in a single container.
  
• The fourth class is called the Rose Bowl Class, where one bloom floats in a bowl provided by the Rose Society.
  
• The Artist Palette is next where six miniature roses of different varieties are displayed in an artist palette provided by the Rose Society.
  
• The next class is called “You Ought to be in Pictures” and is a single rose displayed in a picture frame.
  
• “The Color Purple” is the next class that shows off purple roses.
  
• Next, roses that are fragrant, roses with five to eight petals, and a bouquet of left-over roses can be displayed.
  
• There is a separate class in memory of Jerry Yoneda, a long-time member of the Utah Rose Society who passed away in 2019.
  

The following posts continue with other Divisions in the annual Rose Show.

Grooming the Rose
 
Participants of the Rose Show may show up at the Sugar House Garden Center as early as 7:00 a.m. You will have until 10:00 a.m. to prepare and groom your roses.  What do you do during this time?
 
First, you find the vases that you need, provided by the Utah Rose Society. You cannot use just any vase; it has to be a curtain size. When you arrive, someone will show you where to get your vases. There will be a staging area with tables set up, outside the front door. There you will gather the vases, put water and a rose in each vase. You may want to bring a watering can with you to fill the vases.
 
 Now you begin to groom your rose. The leaflets need to been cleaned of any residue of chemicals, or water spots. A soft damp cloth or wet nylon stocking works well for this.  The bloom petals can be brushed gently if they have dust or debris on them. A soft make-up brush works well for this.  If a part of a leaflet has a brown edge to it, gently trim off the brown edge with a pair of deckled scissors, again very gently.
 
 Next, you will need to decide exactly high tall you want your rose to stand out of the vase. A judge was once overheard saying that the stem should be seven times the height of the bloom.  This will put the rose at eye level of most judges, so they do not have to bend down to see your beautiful rose.  So cut your stem accordingly and put the rose gently back into the vase.
 
Now you will need to put a wedge in at the top of the vase to hold the rose stem in place. Any material may be used to support the rose except for clear plastic wrap. Good ideas are foil and floral oasis.
 
 Attach the identification tag (which you have already filled out) with a rubber band to the neck of the vase. Place the tag on the side of the vase where the judges can get the best view of your rose. (it is easiest to do this just before you place the rose in the vase).
 
 Lastly, place your rose on the Placement Table inside the front door and the committee will place your rose entry on the appropriate table to be judged.
 
            At this time, you can relax!!  You did it!! You placed your rose in the Rose Show!  At 12 noon all the participants are allowed back in to see their roses and how they performed. You can also enjoy all the many beautiful roses entered by your friends.
 

Transporting the Rose
 
Depending on how far from the Rose Show location you live, will determine the manner in which you transport your roses. And there are many ways to do this. It is a personal preference, but whichever way you choose, you will want to transport them carefully so they will not fall, or bump into each other. They need to stay cool, and out of the hot sun’s rays. It goes without saying that the roses must stay in water.
 
 So, find a system that works for you.  Depending on how many roses you are planning to show, a cardboard box with dividers could be helpful.  A six-pack cardboard carrying case, used for soda bottles, works well too.  If the rose blooms are large then possibly only three roses would fit in a six-pack carrying container. You do not want the blooms bumping into each other. Use vases you already have, or use soda or water bottles.  Place your box or boxes securely on the floor or back of the minivan or SUV. You do not want them to move around during travel.
 

​Exhibition Roses
 
For rose shows, there is such a bloom that is called “exhibition stage”.  Think of the perfect high centered rose. This is exhibition stage for a Hybrid Tea, and this is what the judges are looking for.  The rose should be one-half to two-thirds open, with a high center and petals unfurling in a circle.  Exhibition stages are the same for Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Miniatures, and a few single Floribundas.  Many Floribundas look better as a spray, which means that there are several blooms on one stem, and the blooms are more open. The spray will do well in the show if the blooms are symmetrical and balanced.  You can also enter roses that are fully open with the stamens showing.
 
So when cutting your roses for the show, either the night before or the morning of, consider the stage of the bloom, and how much it will open before it is judged (which will be 10:00a.m.-12 noon on Saturday.). It is a judgment call; you know your roses and how long they stay nice in a vase in your home. That knowledge can help you with this decision. Example of a rose that will not work at a Rose Show is Mardi Gras.  It looks great in the garden, and the color pops against the green foliage. But when cut and put in a vase, it wilts within an hour or two.  So it is not a good specimen for the rose show.

​Cutting the Roses
 
The least optimal time to cut a rose is in the afternoon. Late afternoon to early evening before the day of the show is one of two good choices. The stems will remain strong and rigid because the sugar in the cane is highest at this time of day. This guarantees the rose will keep better.  The second good choice is the morning of the rose show. It has been said that 90% of our rose blooms open between dawn and 10:00 a.m.
 
Immediately after cutting your rose, put it into cool water. Do not use tepid water because that will encourage the bloom to open further.  If you have a bucket, then fill it to the top and put your roses in, three or four, up to the neck of the rose.  If you put in more than this, they may mingle with each other and tear petals, blooms or both of each other.  You must be careful at this point.  The bucket should be put in a cool dark place for the night, or taken directly to the show, if it is the morning of the show.
 
Do not cut a rose from of a one year old or newer rose shrub.  It is not good for them until they are at least two years old.  When cutting a rose to take to the show, cut the stem ideally 22-24 inches long, if possible.  When you prepare the rose and place it in its final vase for the show, then you can cut more off to get the right height. 
 

Bob Martin, a past President of the American Rose Society describes the night before a rose show with the same excitement and feelings he experienced as a child on Christmas Eve! I can relate to those same feelings; it is hard to describe unless you have entered your own roses in a Rose Show, where roses are judged by accredited judicators of the American Rose Society.   Would you like to experience this same excitement?  Then come to the Sugar House Garden Center on Saturday, June 4th and enter a few of your own roses! You will not regret doing so!  We will help you learn how to do this in the following posts. Stay tuned!   Cindy Crookston

​Suggested Home Soil Tests from Utah State University: 
 
 Routine Test  $30
Basic measurements for the vast majority of home gardening needs 
Provides Phosphorus (P205) and Potassium (K2O) fertilizer recommendations 
 Provides Nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations tailored to plants the client indicates are to be grown (please provide this information on the submission form) 
 Provides soil salinity and pH levels useful in choosing appropriate plants for these important conditions in arid/semi-arid Western US environments 
 Provides a soil texture classification used to determine water holding capacity and irrigation regiment 
 
Micro Plus Test  *$45 
Starts out with all the features of the Routine Test 
Includes key micronutrient levels that are often deficient in arid/semi-arid Western US soil conditions (Iron, Zinc, Copper and Manganese) 
Provides recommendations for deficient nutrients tailored to the plants the client indicates are to be grown (please provide this information on the submission form) 
* Choose this test if micronutrient deficiency symptoms are seen or suspected the previous season. Micronutrient fertilizer applications are most effective in the early spring--much less effective mid-season. 
 
The following link will give you instructions on how to gather a soil test from your garden, and then how to send it to USU. 
https://usual.usu.edu/home-soil/index