You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
I enjoyed this article but I was surprised to see that so many people find they have to spend so much time and energy on their roses! I live in New Mexico, and I have been growing mostly David Austin roses (I have about a dozen now) with fantasitic results for years. My 10-year-old Graham Thomas grows bigger than the house if I don't prune it twice a year. I do not feed heavily, but I did start with soil that I amended with a lot of organic homemade compost, cotton meal compost, and organic manure. I usually only fertilize once a year with some fish emulsion or a locally-made alfalfa-based product that I work into the soil, Because this is the desert, I try to keep watering to once a week, and I use a straw mulch, which also helps improve the soil as it breaks down. The benefit of organic gardening is that everything you do adds to the health of your soil, improves your soils tilth and the natural microorganizism that support plant health and prevent diseases. I have never had a problem with any disease, and the aphids that show up in the spring are quickly devoured by ladybugs and lacewings. Organic gardening is cheaper and less time consuming in the long run-- like Paul Rodman says, everyone is free to make their own choice, but my experience has been that organic gardening makes the job a lot easier!
