Content
Rose Blue Moon (or Blue Moon) attracts attention with its soft lilac, almost blue petals. The unusual beauty of the rose bush, combined with a pleasant aroma, helped Blue Moon win the love of flower growers.
A climbing rose can decorate any area
History of selection
Translated from English, “Blue Moon” means “Blue Moon”. The plant received this name for the unusual cold lilac or blue tint of the petals of the buds. The Blue Moon rose variety was bred in the second half of the twentieth century (1964) by Tantau plant breeders. It was a bush hybrid tea rose, which quickly gained popularity among gardeners.
Ten years later, scientists discovered a random bud mutation that gave the flowering plant the property of climbing. Biologists call this phenomenon “climbing,” which translated from English means “to rise,” “to climb.” An accidental discovery gave rise to the creation of a new species - the Blue Moon climbing rose.Its originators were the Australian Julie Jackson and the American Fred A. Mungia.
Blue Moon has been awarded two gold awards at international flower shows. This flower received a test certificate at the Bageigne competition, which was held in Paris.
The climbing variety Blue Moon was developed in the second half of the last century
Description of climbing rose Blue Moon and characteristics
The climbing rose Blue Moon is a vigorous, spreading plant, the height of the stems can reach 3 m, and in regions with a warm climate, 4 m. The width of the bush is 70-80 cm. The dense and strong shoots of the Blue Moon have practically no thorns. The color of the stems is dark green.
The blue climbing rose Blue Moon is characterized by the presence of complex leaves, each of which consists of several simple, rounded, elongated and slightly bent outward leaf blades. The leaves are matte, dark green. The edge of the leaf blade is serrated. The foliage of the stems is intense.
Rose Blue Moon is a repeat-blooming plant, that is, flowering occurs twice a season with a short break. The flowering period of Blue Moon is quite long - the first buds appear in early summer, and the last in mid-autumn. With proper care, the interval between the first and second flowering can be practically unnoticeable. As a result, it seems that the plant blooms continuously.
Unopened Blue Moon buds are usually purple in color. When they open, they turn into large flowers, about 12 cm in diameter, with blue, purple or light lilac buds. Each flower basket consists of 25-30 petals, the shade of which depends on the location of the plant: in the shade they are lilac, and in the sun they are rich blue.The buds can be single or collected in small inflorescences of 3-5 pieces. During the flowering process, the shape of the flower basket changes. At first it is a conical bud, and then goblet-shaped.
The flowers have a pleasant, subtle aroma of rose oil with subtle citrus notes. It is noteworthy that the smell emitted by the flowers of the rose bush persists throughout the entire flowering period of Blue Moon.
After flowering ends, false fruits of a rounded-elongated shape with small seeds are formed on the receptacle. The seed material is suitable for propagating the Blue Moon rose, but it is used extremely rarely for this purpose.
Blue Moon is a heat-loving plant, so a drop in temperature below -20 °C can be disastrous for it. In the Russian Federation, the climbing rose Blue Moon feels good in the southern regions, but flower growers in central Russia who want to have this whimsical beauty in their garden will have to work hard.
For a climbing rose you will have to build a support
Differences between Blue Moon and Blue Girl roses
In terms of external features, the climbing rose Blue Moon, as seen in the photo, is somewhat similar to Blue Girl.
Blue Girl and Blue Moon are highly decorative
Both plants are repeat bloomers and have a long flowering period. However, there are significant differences between them.
| Blue Moon | Blue Girl |
Plant type | Rose hybrid tea climbing | Hybrid tea rose bush |
Stems | Strong curly, 350-400 cm high | Powerful, erect, 60-70 cm high |
Leaves | Matte dark green | Semi-gloss dark green |
Flowers | Goblet-shaped, located singly or in groups of 3-5 pieces. The flower basket is goblet-shaped, consists of 20-25 petals of a blue or lilac hue | More luxuriant than that of the Blue Moon, the double flowers are arranged singly. A terry flower basket is formed by about 40 lavender petals |
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Rose Blue Moon has many advantages. However, it also has disadvantages.
One of the advantages of the Blue Moon rose is its unusual color.
Pros:
- highly decorative;
- pleasant aroma;
- almost complete absence of thorns;
- re-blooming.
Minuses:
- poor frost resistance, which necessitates serious protection from winter cold;
- weak immunity to diseases;
- the need to construct supporting supports.
Reproduction methods
There are three ways to propagate climbing roses:
- Cuttings. Cut cuttings of approximately 12 cm, treat the cuts with a preparation for rapid rooting (Kornevin) and plant them in moist soil under a glass jar.
- By layering. After flowering ends, one of the stems is buried. When the cuttings take root, they are transplanted to a new place.
- Dividing the bush. Dig up a bush and use a sharp knife to divide the root system into several parts. The resulting divisions are transplanted to a new location.
Greenhouse conditions are required for rooting cuttings
Growing and care
For a rose, a place in the open sun or in lace shade is suitable. The optimal time for planting is considered to be the second half of May.
Landing
The planting material is kept in water for several hours. This allows the roots to expand and also absorb moisture.
The landing algorithm is as follows:
- the selected area is dug up, a hole of the required size is made and drainage is laid;
- the seedling is placed in the middle of the hole, the roots are straightened;
- cover the shoot with soil, deepening the neck by 2-3 cm;
- the soil is compacted, watered and covered with mulch.
Care
The Blue Moon rose variety cannot be called an unpretentious plant. In order for it to grow normally and delight with lush flowers, it needs to be provided with proper care:
- regular but not excessive watering, the frequency of which depends on weather conditions;
- loosening, which should be carried out after each watering, and removal of weeds;
- fertilizing, which is done 5-6 times during the entire growing season of roses using special complex fertilizers for roses;
- pruning - in the first year, damaged areas of vines and weak shoots are removed, in the second and subsequent years, side shoots on the main vines are cut by ½, and old stems are also removed.
Rose needs moderate watering
Pests and diseases
With proper care, the Blue Moon rose almost never gets sick. However, dampness and cold summers can cause the development of certain diseases:
- Downy mildew. The disease can be identified by the appearance of reddish spots on the leaves. You can cope with it by treating the plant with fungicidal preparations.
Downy mildew affects both the leaves and stems of the plant at the same time
- Gray rot.A common disease characterized by the appearance of a yellow-gray coating on the vegetative parts of the plant. It may be caused by poor ventilation of the area. The disease is treated with fungicides. The treatment is carried out twice with a break of two weeks.
Gray rot can cause plant death
Harmful insects also annoy the climbing rose:
- Rose aphid. Its presence can be determined by the wrinkling of the leaves and the appearance of small black dots on them. They destroy aphids with the help of Alatar, Actellik.
Rose aphid feeds on plant sap
- White pennitsa. A sign of presence is the appearance of foam on the lashes of the rose. Insecticidal preparations are used to destroy pennies.
It is better to remove the foam, otherwise it will cause damage to the plant.
Application in landscape design
The high decorative value of the Blue Moon makes it possible to use it in landscape design to decorate fences, walls, open terraces and gazebos. Arches, pergolas and columns entwined with blue and lilac roses can become one of the main attractions of any site. A climbing rose fixed on supports stands out against the green lawn.
Good neighbors for Blue Moon will be clematis and conifers (cypress, thuja, blue spruce, juniper). In front of the bush you can plant low-growing flowering plants - asters, lavender, sage, bluebells.
A climbing rose is planted at the entrance to the house
Conclusion
Rose Blue Moon is a highly ornamental plant that requires proper care. However, the efforts made will not be in vain, as evidenced by the description of the flower and reviews of it. Provided you follow the growing rules, Blue Moon will delight you with its unusual blue flowers for most of the warm season.
Reviews with photos about the climbing hybrid tea rose Blue Moon
