Tips for Growing Roses Hydroponically

One of the first considerations for your roses will be lighting. During the non-blooming stage, you’ll want to use a high intensity bulb that provides an abundance of blue spectrum light, such as a Metal Halide bulb. When your roses move into the flowering stage, they will need grow lights that provide a red spectrum, such as High Pressure Sodium.

The rest of the grow room will need to be set up the same way you would for growing most other flowers or vegetables. You’ll want to provide proper temperatures, quality nutrient solutions and ventilation. Also, if you want to increase productivity, increase the amount of CO2 in your grow room. This will help stimulate more photosynthesis activity which provides more growing power.

Provide Quality Nutrients

Many quality nutrients provide beneficial microbes that colonize on a plant’s roots. This, in turn, will immunize a plant for life against disease.

When purchasing products with beneficial microbes, remember that they are living organisms. Pay close attention to the shelf life of the product you are considering. A long shelf life, which most quality products provide, will help assure you of getting living, vibrant microbes that will go to work for you.

Quality nutrients also help to guard against insect infestation. And if your roses are attacked by pests, you’ll be giving them the ability to recover.

Powdery Mildew – a common rose affliction

Powdery Mildew is caused by the fungus Sphaerotheca Pannosa. It first appears on new growth when cool, damp nights follow warm dry days. New leaves will appear twisted and curled. Also, new shoots will look deformed.

Older leaves may also be attacked by this fungus. Look on the underside of leaves to detect fungal growth. The fungus will appear on leaves, stems, buds and flowers as a white powder.

On young leaves, powdery mildew will look like bumps. But later on it will look as though someone poured sugar or talcum powder on your plants. Although it tends to thrive during periods of high humidity it will only form on the dry parts of a leaf.

Black Spot – another common rose problem

As you might suspect, Black Spot will appear on your roses as black spots with whitish or yellow fringes. This disease is caused by the fungus Diplcarpon Rosae. Eventually, these leaves will drop off and the defoliated plant may die.

Black Spot grows in colonies on rose leaves as a result of excess humidity or over-watering. It quickly spreads across leaves, turning them yellow before killing them.

The moment you discover Black Spot, remove and destroy the infected leaves. And don’t overlook any leaves that have fallen onto the media. If the disease has progressed too far, you may end up having to remove most of a plant’s foliage.

Prevention of rose pathogens

Many growers use a baking soda solution to fight powdery mildew fungus in their flower gardening. Mix one rounded tablespoon of baking soda with one tablespoon of summer horticultural oil in a gallon of water.

Spray this mixture on the plant as long as the temperature is not above 850 F. This will not stop powdery mildew once it has established itself. But it can be an excellent preventative.

Another treatment is sulphur dust. Apply either sulphur or lime sulphur about every seven to ten days.