Content
A rose with the name “great celebration” can become a bright decoration of any garden. A bouquet of large cut flowers will please absolutely every girl. Unpretentious to grow, resistant to frost and various diseases - this is exactly the description of the hybrid tea rose Grand Gala.
The buds of the Grand Gala variety are very attractive in appearance, have a rich color and a velvety surface
History of selection
Rose Grand Gala is a prominent representative of the group of tea hybrids. It was bred in 1995 by breeders of the French company Meilland International. Obtained by crossing Chinese varieties of roses with large buds. At the same time, the hybrid has absorbed only the best qualities from its parents. And, despite the fact that the Grand Gala variety obtained as a result of painstaking work does not have ancient origins, it was still able to win the recognition of the majority of gardeners who prefer natural semi-wild types of roses. Among the positive qualities, they noted unpretentiousness in care, long and abundant flowering, as well as good resistance to pests.
Description and characteristics of the Grand Gala rose variety
The hybrid tea rose bush Grand Gala is not very spreading, up to 80 cm wide, but quite tall, reaching up to 1.2 m with proper care. The shoots are straight, strong, abundantly covered with dark green foliage with a glossy surface. The height of the peduncles is 40-80 cm. I have few thorns, evenly spaced along the entire length. The leaf plates themselves are quite large, filled with juice, with small jagged edges. During the flowering period, the green mass simply perfectly complements the dark red or pink buds as a background.
Flowers appear singly on the stem. The Grand Gala variety itself is a re-blooming variety; it blooms almost continuously from May to mid-autumn. The buds have a classic shape for hybrid tea varieties, elongated, cup-shaped. The inflorescence consists of 40-60 rounded double petals, which slowly bloom and, when fully opened, elegantly bend outward. The diameter of the buds varies from 8 to 12 cm. The color, depending on the type, can be deep red or soft pink. A distinctive feature of the Grand Gala variety is the spectacular darker coating of the wavy edges of the petals. The aroma is unnoticeable, subtle, with berry notes, reminiscent of raspberries.
Advantages and disadvantages
As can be seen from the photo and description, the Grand Gala rose has many positive qualities, but this hybrid tea variety also has its disadvantages.
Thanks to its very beautiful buds, the Grand Gala rose is used not only in landscape design, but also in floristry
Pros:
- high decorativeness of the bush;
- large buds of dark red or pink color;
- long and repeated flowering;
- can be grown for cutting;
- ease of care;
- ability to withstand low temperatures (USDA frost resistance zone - sixth);
- resistance to powdery mildew and black spot;
- not afraid of pests;
- tolerate rainy weather calmly;
- the buds do not fade under the sun and do not fall off for a long time;
- Suitable for growing in open ground and in greenhouse conditions.
Minuses:
- poor shade tolerance;
- in open ground requires shelter for the winter.
Reproduction methods
To maximize the preservation of all varietal characteristics, pink and red Grand Gala roses are propagated exclusively by vegetative methods. The most popular is the cutting method.
Planting material is prepared in advance from strong young bushes. In this case, green shoots are used for spring cuttings, and lignified annual branches with a diameter of about 5 mm are selected in the fall. In both cases, the segments should not exceed 15 cm. After cutting, all leaves of the planting material are removed, a straight cut is made above the upper bud, and an angular cut (45°) is made under the lower bud. Then the cuttings are kept in a solution of a growth stimulator, and then they are placed in moist soil mixed with sand.
In addition to cuttings, the Grand Gala rose can be propagated by dividing the bush. To do this in the spring, after the snow has thawed, the plant is dug up and divided into 2-3 parts. Moreover, they all must have roots and shoots. To make the rooting of planting material faster, the remaining shoots are shortened.
You can also try to propagate the Grand Gala rose by layering. This procedure is carried out in the spring.To do this, the shoots are bent and secured to the ground with staples and sprinkled with soil. Rooted cuttings are separated from the mother bush in the fall. As a rule, this method is the most troublesome and less successful.
Growing and care
The most important thing when growing a Grand Gala rose is its correct planting. A place should be chosen that is sufficiently lit, but slightly darkened. It is also worth paying attention to protection from draft winds.
The soil needs to be prepared in advance. It will be ideal if the soil has a light and loose structure; otherwise, it is advisable to add sand and clay while digging. At the same time, the presence of drainage and high nutritional value of the soil is important for the Grand Gala hybrid. Therefore, the application of organic fertilizers is mandatory.
The acidity of the soil should be pH 6-6.5, it can be increased with peat (manure) or reduced by adding lime
The best time to plant a Grand Gala rose is mid-April or May. In autumn, the beginning of September is considered a good time, since before the first frost the seedling must have time to take root.
Subsequent care after planting consists of timely watering, pruning and fertilizing. To ensure good saturation of soil moisture, it is advisable to dig a groove around the trunk. In hot weather, it is necessary to water the bush at least once every 3 days, and in moderate weather, once a week is enough. After watering, the soil is loosened superficially and weeds are simultaneously removed.
Fertilizing is applied at least 3 times per season to accelerate the formation of buds and ensure longer flowering. A mixture of organic matter and mineral complexes is used to fertilize the soil. Nutrition of the rose is especially important during the budding period.
Since all hybrid tea varieties require spring and autumn pruning, the Grand Gala rose also requires this procedure. Before winter, be sure to remove the shoots to the middle, cutting them off above the bud at an angle. In the spring, pruning of damaged stems is carried out. At the same time, the bush does not require any special formation; it already looks compact and neat.
The bush is covered for the winter. This can be done using spruce spruce branches, constructing a kind of frame, or you can wrap the plant in dense material, securing the top and bottom with wire.
Pests and diseases
Despite good immunity, the Grand Gala red and pink rose can be susceptible to the following diseases if not properly cared for:
- powdery mildew, characterized by the appearance of a white coating on leaves and shoots;
The affected areas are removed, and the bush itself is treated with a copper-containing preparation
- black spotting, the appearance of which is indicated by brown spots on the upper side of the leaf;
To treat this disease, use a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
- rust that appears in spring on the upper part of stems and leaf blades in the form of orange tubercles.
To combat the disease, a solution of Bordeaux mixture is also used, only 2%
Among the pests that pose a threat to the Grand Gala variety, it is worth noting the following:
- rose scale insect feeding on plant sap;
To eliminate the pest, you can use drugs such as Aktara, Fufanon
- spider mite, which settles on the leaves, causing them to turn yellow and fall off.
Against spider mites, it is necessary to use a powerful insecticidal drug
Application in landscape design
Rose Grand Gala is an attractive decorative flowering shrub that looks great both in compositions with other garden plants and when planted alone. It can become the center of a mixborder or a bright accent on an emerald green lawn as a tapeworm.
Dark red buds will stand out elegantly when placed in a bed with flowers of lighter shades. But compared to other tall varieties of roses, the Grand Gala hybrid can easily get lost.
Conclusion
Rose Grand Gala, although it is a relatively young variety created by human hands, can still attract the attention of avid gardeners. Its flowers are beautiful not only on the bush, but also when cut. At the same time, the tea hybrid will not pose much trouble when growing.
