Rose Sophia Loren: the standard of femininity in garden decor

Description of the variety Sophia Loren

The Sophia Loren rose variety is considered resistant; the plant suffers from fungal diseases in unfavorable conditions; if agricultural practices are followed, the shrub does not become infected. The culture is in the sixth frost resistance zone; in the rain, some of the buds do not open. Due to extreme heat, flower petals become “crumpled.” The Sophia Loren variety blooms from June to September intermittently.

Bloom

When and how does it bloom?

Sophia Loren blooms throughout the summer. At this time, the bushes are strewn with bright red flowers with a crimson tint. The buds are lush and large, as the diameter reaches 12 cm.

Care before and after

Roses do not require special care during the flowering period . They need to be watered regularly, but not allowed to stagnate. Fertilizing should be done with a predominance of potassium and phosphorus. Faded and dried flowers must be removed in a timely manner, as this will stimulate the bush to form new buds.

What to do if it doesn't bloom?

If a rose does not bloom, then first you need to find out the reason, and only then look for ways to eliminate it:

1. Poor soil quality . It is best to plant bushes in soil previously mixed with sand.
2. Lack or excess of fertilizers . If you add nitrogen compounds in increased quantities, the plant will form leaves, not buds.
3. No bush pruning . If you do not remove weakened and dried branches, this will have a bad effect on the development of the bush, as a result of which its flowering will stop.

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Appearance and features

Sophia Loren rose is a hybrid tea variety that looks sophisticated thanks to its pointed petals. When not fully opened, the bud is narrow, pointed upward. When opening, the rose turns its outer petals back, but the core remains compressed in a cone shape.

The buds are distinguished by a very bright, rich color; the color of the rose is deep red. The color on the roses is uniform, there are no admixtures of other shades. The petals are velvety, dense, do not fade in the sun, but wrinkle from extreme heat. The Sophia Loren variety has an intense aroma; the flowers smell strongly of fresh fruit with notes of musk.

The height of the Sophia Loren bush is standard for most tea hybrids. The plant reaches 150 cm in length and 80 cm in width. The shrub is erect, the shoots are elastic, but stable and straight. Branches with thorns and large, emerald, leathery, oval-shaped foliage. The shoots are green, sometimes with burgundy hues.

Growing and care

The Sophia Loren rose variety can be planted in greenhouses or in open ground. The planting hole should have parameters of 50:50:50 cm, because the roots should be located freely in the hole, and the root collar should be deepened.

The shrub can be planted in spring and autumn, but spring planting is fraught with the risk that the bush will not survive due to the fact that the seedlings lose stability after winter storage. It is recommended to plant the variety in the fall; the plant will have the opportunity to take root and gain strength over the winter, and in the spring it will begin to grow on par with other crops in the garden.

How to propagate?

It is necessary to harvest cuttings after the shoots form buds or after the first flowering. Procedure:

1. The shoots must be cut from the central part. Their length is 5-8 cm. There should also be 2-3 leaves on the shoot.
2. To reduce evaporation, it is worth removing the bottom sheet and part of the top.
3. Before planting, place the cuttings in a root formation stimulator for 18-20 hours.
4. The prepared seedling must be planted early in the morning or in the evening.
5. The substrate used is coarse oven sand, a mixture of sand and peat (1:1).
6. Spread a layer 3-4 cm thick on top of the sod-humus soil.
7. Plant the cuttings obliquely, deepening them by 1.5-2 cm.
8. Cover the seedlings in the garden with glass or plastic jars and film on top.

Diseases

Are there dark spots on the shoots of the rose? This could be necrosis, find out how to save the plant

Bark necrosis on roses

Does the rose begin to wither and die for no apparent reason? It could be root rot, find out control and prevention measures

Root rot of roses

Girdle spots of brick and burgundy shades appear on the shoots of roses, find out why this happens

Infectious rose burn

Are there growths and cracks on the rose? It could be cancer, read what to do next

Common rose cancer

To ensure abundant flowering, it is important to choose the right planting site. It is better to place the shrub on a small hillock on the south side, where there is sunlight and no cold wind.

It is not advisable to plant the shrub in open sun; if the rose is exposed to the rays all day, its appearance will deteriorate. It is optimal to place the perennial next to trees or bushes that provide shade in the afternoon. The place where the rose will be located should not be close to groundwater, so it is better to choose a hill.

It is necessary to lay out a drainage layer in the planting hole and add river sand and soil mixture. The mixture should contain garden substrate, organic fertilizers and peat. The hole filled with drainage and soil mixture must be left for 14 days for shrinkage to occur, only after which can planting be carried out.

Immediately after planting, you need to thoroughly water the area around the trunk and mulch the soil with rotted manure or compost. After two weeks of hilling, it must be removed around the trunk, otherwise adventitious roots will begin to grow, which weaken the plant.

If the seedling was not pruned before planting, it should be done after planting to stimulate shoot growth. The first month welcomes the addition of growth stimulating agents.

In spring, the shrub needs to be fed with nitrogen; in summer, mineral complexes with phosphorus and potassium are added. Regular watering, weeding and loosening of the soil are important. In the spring, you need to prune the bush for sanitary and rejuvenating purposes. Before wintering, the perennial must be shortened, the trunk circle must be spudded, and the rose must be covered in any convenient way.

Flower propagation

The flower is propagated by cuttings. This is the only way to grow a daughter plant while maintaining all the characteristics of the mother bush. Most often, cuttings are cut in the spring, after buds form on them, or after the first flowering.

Detailed description:

1. Cuttings are cut from the central part of the shoot. They should be about 7 cm long and have 3-4 leaves growing on them.
2. The bottom sheet and part of the top sheet are removed completely to reduce liquid evaporation.
3. Before rooting the shoots, they must be kept for 24 hours in a solution of a growth stimulator.
4. Plant the cuttings at an angle either in coarse river sand or in a mixture of sand and peat sprinkled on top of a 4 cm layer of humus or turf.
5. Cover the seedling with a jar or bottle and open it periodically for ventilation.

Important! Cuttings should be planted early in the morning or late in the evening.

Options for using Sophia Loren roses

Rose Sophia Loren can decorate a garden plot in a mixborder, border, group flower bed or single rose garden. The buds are bright, so they do not get lost against the background of other plants, but it is better to plant the bush in a visible place.

Roses are combined with crops in purple, yellow, white, and cream shades. The perennial can be planted among herbaceous and ornamental conifers. Sophia Loren is a cut rose and is used in bouquets and other floral arrangements.

Useful tips

• The Sophia Loren rose can be planted dry or wet. The first involves planting a seedling in a prepared hole and covering it with soil. The second is to add wet soil to the hole, brought to the state of liquid porridge. Wet planting allows you to fill the roots with moisture and adapt more successfully to a new place;
• The first buds need to be removed from the bush so that it can grow stronger;
• The Sophia Loren variety is demanding of environmental conditions, if these conditions are not met, the rose may become infected with a fungal disease. To reduce the risk of infection, you need to trim off faded buds and weak shoots and periodically treat them with a solution of soap and copper sulfate. It is also necessary to treat the bush with Bordeaux solution, loosen and mulch the soil, carry out general cleaning of the area every season, and burn dry leaves.

Planting a plant

It is best to plant Sophia Loren in the fall - by winter it will take root, and in the spring it will already try to bloom. True, if you rush and plant a rose in too warm weather, it will take root and grow shoots/leaves, as a result of which it may suffer from the cold in the first frost.

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Follow this logic: it’s getting colder in nature (down to about +10 degrees), all garden plants are losing leaves, and they are falling into winter sleep. Have time to plant a bush during this cold snap, at the beginning of leaf fall.

In cold climates it is better to plant the bush in the spring . But there is also a nuance here: nurseries often dig up roses in the fall, and they may sell you a plant that has been weakened after wintering. Choose such a seedling very pickily.

Buying a seedling

At the garden center, look for one- or two-year-old seedlings that have at least 2 dark green, woody stems, dormant buds, and healthy roots. The correct diameter of the root collar is from 8 to 10 mm. There should be no flowers or even leaves on the seedling - good gardeners trim them off before selling. Dry roots and signs of disease are a reason to refuse to purchase a plant.

If funds allow, take the plant in a container - it will survive the journey home faster, and does not require immediate planting in the ground (it can grow in its container for another couple of days, or even weeks), and will take root in a new place faster.

If this is a purchase from an online store , you will receive the root system packed in peat film. A box with a picture of a flower, name and short information about the variety is placed on top. Alternatively, instead of a box, the packaging can be equipped with a simple label. In such packaging, the seedling can be stored for up to 3 months, so do not be afraid if it is sent to you by the state postal service.

Depending on the location of the store, seedlings are sent either in spring and autumn, or (in the North) only in spring.

By the way! When ordering a rose, you can immediately “throw into the cart” fertilizer for this type of flower, a drug for the prevention of fungal diseases. You can also order material for mulching the soil (say, chopped pine bark).

Choosing a location on the site

Sophia Loren is a “sunny creature.” It is better to plant the rose on the south side of the yard . Ideally, it will be a slope on which, in addition to roses, other shrubs or trees grow. Although the flower loves warmth, it also needs light shading.

There should not be constant moisture at the roots . Therefore, the soil must have good drainage qualities (if the soil is “tight”, add sand and peat). Also, do not plant Sophia Loren in a lowland; its place is higher above the groundwater.

Landing in numbers

The correct layer of soil for roses : 50 cm - if it is a self-rooted bush, 70 cm - if it is grafted (for example, in some stores they may offer bushes grafted onto tenacious rose hips).

Planting pit : half a meter wide and long, the same in depth.

Work step by step

1. Dig a hole a couple of days before planting so that the soil has time to settle.
2. When planting, add peat, sand, and organic fertilizers inside.
3. Depending on whether it rained before planting, Sophia Loren can be planted in two ways. If the soil is wet, simply form a mound in the hole, place the seedling on it, straighten the roots and cover it with soil. If the ground is dry, cover the planted seedling with soil and generously fill it with water so that the rose is surrounded by liquid. The roots that are covered with such “porridge” will quickly grow into the ground.
4. If the seedling is grafted, lower the grafting site - it should be below ground level, but not too deep. This will protect the bush from the growth of “wild” growth of the wrong kind that we need, and from freezing in winter.
5. The final chord is watering the bush, hilling and mulching. For the first mulch, it is better to use nutritious compost.
6. If the rose's branches are very long, prune it immediately after planting. Do not spare the plant, let it grow new strong shoots. It is better to remove the first buds that appear on the bush - it is too early for a young rose to bloom, let it take root properly first.
7. Water Sophia Loren with growth stimulants for 2 to 3 weeks.

Important! After two weeks, when you see that the rose is taking root, rake away the soil with which it was covered so that the lower shoots do not begin to take root - this will weaken the bush.

Where exactly in the landscape of the yard should I place this rose?

In landscape design, Sophie (like other tall varieties) can be used as a background for more compact flowers , preferably small-flowering ones.

If you want roses to be in the foreground , plant them against the background of conifers, hedges, decorative deciduous bushes or trees.

Tapeworm ( single planting on a slope, lawn, clearing) is also a good option. But to make the plant visually more magnificent, plant at least 3 Sophia Loren bushes together, in a group planting.