Rose Blue Nile - characteristics of varietal flower

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

Description of the variety

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 shrub can grow up to 1.5 m in height and a little over 1 m in width. But the final size of the plant depends on the weather conditions of the area where it is planted. If you do not need to prune in hot climates, it is recommended to prune the stems at a height of 75 cm in cold areas.

Rose Blue Nile

Blue Nile belongs to the family of hybrid tea blue roses. And thanks to its tea aroma with hints of citrus and fruits, as well as due to its unpretentiousness, it managed to please many gardeners. The rose blooms twice from early summer to late September and can be used as a garden decoration, as a filling in landscaping 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, which allows it to be widely used in landscape design;
• the ability to cut flowers into bouquets;
• unpretentious to care for.

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

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

Basic requirements for growing

It is possible to grow a rose from seeds, but it 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 the planting material, so the choice should be taken responsibly. When choosing a seedling, first of all, you need to pay attention to the following:

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

In order for the rose to bloom well, the 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. In such conditions, the plants wait for May or June (depending on the climatic conditions of the region), and then transplant into open ground. The earth must be warmed up to 12 ° C. Do not delay the transplant, as the young plant does not tolerate heat well.

In order for the hybrid tea blue rose to feel good on the site, you need to prepare the area 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 plantings, 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 winter, it should be planted in spring. Closer to the beginning of winter, it is recommended to fertilize the soil with humus or manure.

For the correct cultivation of a seedling, you should adhere to a certain sequence for transplanting it into open ground. The hole 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 better flows to the roots. To protect the lower buds from unpleasant surprises, the stem is additionally earthed.

Plant care

In leaving, you need to take into account some nuances.

Watering

The Blue Nile rose should be watered rarely, but thoroughly. Drying of the earth is not allowed. Under standard weather conditions, watering is carried out with water at room temperature once a week. One bush takes about 5 liters of water. When summers are hot and dry, irrigation is increased. Water must be poured out 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 in open ground, fertilizing the plant is not required. The following year, after cutting the flower, the soil is carefully shed and fertilized. You need to apply dry mineral fertilizers that are mixed with the soil. After the top dressing is added to the ground, it is watered again, and then manure or humus is added. Additionally, you can fertilize the rose while the buds are setting. No fertilization is required during flowering. This can be done in the fall before winterizing.

Pruning and replanting

For a rose to be healthy and bloom well, it needs timely pruning. There are the following types:

• spring. Before the procedure, the bush is carefully examined, the branches that have frozen after winter and broken branches are removed. In cold climates, the stems are cut up to 70 cm, in hot climates - up to 150 cm;
• summer. To facilitate the growth of the rose, 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 replant it once every couple of years. It is best to perform this procedure in April or September. In the summer, you can transplant the plant in case of emergency:

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

Preparing for winter

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; additionally, they can be covered with spruce branches. If the winter is very cold, then a frame should be made over the bush and covered with plastic wrap.

Blooming rose

The active bloom of the Blue Nile occurs from June to November.During these months, the rose blooms profusely without interruption. This is followed by a period of rest. For a plant to bloom well, it needs proper care.

Bloom

Before the buds begin to appear, fertilization is made with potassium-phosphorus additives. During the formation of the flower, the plant must be fed with organic fertilizing. Fertilizers containing potassium, sulfur and phosphorus are applied 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 why the buds do not bloom:

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

Reproduction of the Blue Nile rose

Reproduction of this variety is done 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 made obliquely, and the upper one is 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, they are washed off with water and transplanted into a container or open ground.

Cuttings

For the substrate, river sand or a mixture of sand and peat is used. The cuttings are planted at an angle to a depth of about 2 cm and then covered with foil. The seedlings are wetted several times a day by spraying. If everything is done correctly, then roots should appear in a month. After that, 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 a soda solution. Subsequent processing twice a week until early July.

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

Aphid

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