Rosa Koko Loko attracts attention with its original color and delicate aroma. Despite the fact that this is a fairly new variety, it has already gained popularity among rose growers and is a welcome acquisition for collectors.
Description and characteristics of the variety
Rosa Coco Loco belongs to the group of floribunda (Floribunda). Its other English name is Soul Sister. This rose was obtained in 2008 by the American K. Bedard under the registration name Wekbijou. In 2012, it was introduced by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower. Coco Loko is a hybrid of Blueberry floribunda with Pot O'Gold hybrid tea rose.
Koko Loko Rose
Koko Loko has a bush form up to 90 cm high and up to 70 cm wide. The shoots are covered with a large number of leaves, there are thorns. The leaves are semi-gloss. Flowers an average of 8 cm, single or collected in inflorescences up to 3 pcs. The buds are neat, composed of 26-40 petals. When flowering, the petals resemble the color of milk chocolate. When the rose opens, the color changes: it darkens to milky coffee. After a while, lavender tones appear.
For your information! Coco Loco has a light candy aroma.
In addition to interesting colors, Koko Loko buds do not fade under the sun, are resistant to rain and powdery mildew. Weaknesses of the rose: they are susceptible to the disease of black spotting, can not stand harsh winters (6-7 frost resistance zone).
Coco Loko looks advantageous in solitary landings. When choosing partner roses, the color of their flowers should be taken into account so that they emphasize and complement Koko Loko, and not overshadow its beauty. These varieties include:
- Lavender Pinocchio;
- Creme Caramel;
- Distant Drums;
- Ametista.
Note! Roses look beautiful with lavender, catnip and sage.
Outdoor landing
Roses should be purchased in specialized stores or nurseries. Seedlings are planted in spring or autumn. Spring time is more suitable for this purpose, since over the summer plants will assimilate and grow stronger in a new place. It should be borne in mind that seedlings planted in the spring will lag behind in development by a couple of weeks compared to autumn plantings.
Roses prefer well-lit places or with a slight shadow, protected from drafts. The soil for planting should be light and nutritious. Neutral or slightly acidic soil is suitable.
Important! In alkaline soil, a rose may have chlorosis.
For looseness and fertility of the substrate, compost is added to it at the rate of 3 parts of soil and 1 part of compost.
Rose sapling
Currently, rose seedlings are often sold with a lump of land. In this case, it is better to transship. Before planting in spring, 3-4 buds are left in the floribunda roses. The elongated shoots are pruned. Damaged and dry branches are removed.
Planting roses is as follows:
- Dig a hole with a diameter of 60 cm and a depth of 70 cm.
- Half of the dug hole is filled with prepared soil.
- Put the plant in the hole.
- Fall asleep with the remaining ground.
- Thoroughly shed the soil and condense around the seedling.
Note! When planting, do not deepen the root neck of the rose. In grafted roses, rosehip shoots can go.
In order for the plant to better cope with stress, after planting, it can be treated with epin or zircon.
Roses love the soil to be moist, but without stagnant water. It is enough to water weekly with one bucket of water under the bush. With drought, the amount of watering is increased. Water should not be icy. So that the soil does not dry out, and a hard crust does not form on the surface, the plants are mulched. For this purpose, use pine bark, husk from nuts or mowed grass. In grass, it is recommended to get rid of seeds and roots first. Watering is done in the morning or in the evening. If the day is cloudy, then you can water it during the day.
Bloom
From natural fertilizers, cow or horse rotted manure is chosen. They should be fed during the growth period of the plant. When the buds begin to form, then you can shed calcium nitrate in the calculation of 1 tbsp. spoons on a bucket of water. This will provide abundant flowering roses. You can use complex mineral fertilizers. In the second half of July, top dressing is reduced. In August, fertilizer should be stopped, since at this time it is preparing for winter.
When forming a bush, the branches of the rose, which are directed inward, are pruned. Then the bush will grow more luxuriant and healthy. Faded buds are removed.
Care during and after flowering
The period of activity of a rose in warm areas begins in April and ends in October. Rest time is necessary, otherwise the plant will be sick and weakened.
During flowering required:
- regular watering;
- top dressing with complex mineral and organic fertilizers (you can take fertilizers for flowering plants);
- removal of wilted flowers;
- loosening and mulching of the soil.
Mulch for roses
After flowering, phosphorus fertilizers should be fed to prepare for the dormant period and increase winter hardiness. When air temperature decreases, watering is reduced.
If the roses do not bloom, then the reason lies in the improper care of her or the disease. Possible problems:
- lack of lighting (elongated shoots, pale green);
- heavy or alkaline soil (you can add peat to the soil);
- underfilling or overflow;
- oversaturation with nitrogen fertilizers (a lot of greens, few buds);
- lack of potassium and phosphorus (flowers wither without blooming);
- the plants have a lot of aphids, whiteflies, scutes, spider mites (treated with a systemic insecticide);
- bacterial and fungal diseases (use fungicide or bactericide. Sold in specialized stores).
Breeding
Roses of floribunda, which include the Coco Loco variety, are propagated by cuttings, layering and dividing the bush.
Cuttings are made in the middle of summer, after the first wave of flowering. To do this, use lateral green or semi-lignified shoots, trying not to prune too much, otherwise it will be difficult for the plants to winter.
The handle should consist of two internodes and three nodes. The lower cut is done at an angle of 45 °. 2-3 leaves are left on the cut shoot. Then the stalk is placed in water or in a moist, loose substrate.
Note! For better rooting, you can process heteroauxin or rootin.
In the future, it is necessary to maintain a humid environment and ventilate so that the cuttings do not rot.
For propagation by layering, a mature, but still flexible shoot is used. On it, the bark is cut into a ring about 8 cm wide and sprinkled with soil. The branch is fixed so that it does not rise above the ground. This procedure is carried out in the spring or after the flowering of the rose. The first roots appear in autumn, and next spring you can separate the children from the adult bush. In the first summer, it is better to prevent the flowering of young plants, so that they grow and do not waste their strength.
Cuttings of roses
An adult bush can be divided into two or more parts. Reproduction in this way is carried out before the buds begin to bloom. They dig up the rose and separate it with a sharp secateurs, making sure that there are living roots on the divisions. 3-5 branches should remain on the branches, the remaining branches and parts of the shoots are cut off. Slices are covered with garden var. For the further formation of the bush, the upper bud of the new plant should look outward.
Coco Loco has a fairly strong immunity against fungal and bacterial diseases, for example, from powdery mildew. When diseases appear, it can be treated with a fungicidal or bactericidal agent.
Roses are affected by thrips, spider mites and whiteflies. In this case, preventive measures should be taken:
- inspection of plants for damage, plaque, insects;
- pests do not like moisture, so it is advisable to spray plants;
- once every two weeks, treated with green soap.
Rosa Coco Loko is successfully grown and propagated in Russia. The variety has a steady resistance to disease. Due to its unusual flowering, the rose is able to become the highlight of any garden.
