Rose El Toro (El Toro) - what is this variety

The El Toro rose will add a passionate Spanish accent to the garden. This variety looks great in a flower bed, standing out as a bright spot against the background of other plants. Also, El Toro rose is ideal for cutting due to the absence of thorns and unusually beautiful double buds. In addition, the flower, both in the garden and in the bouquet, retains its freshness and bright color for a long time.

The history of the creation of the variety

The rose variety El Toro was developed by the Dutch breeder H. Olji in 2003 in the Netherlands. There are several assumptions about the appearance of the name of the flower.

"El Toro" is translated from Spanish as "bull, calf." Apparently, the author associated the bright deep red color of the rose with the red canvas with which the bullfighter teases the bull in the bullfight. It is also called the Torero rose.
Perhaps the flower was named after the small Spanish town of the same name El Toro.
With its wavy scarlet petals, the rose resembles the skirt of a Spanish woman developing in a passionate flamenco dance. It is possible that this fact prompted the Spanish name for the flower.

Rosa Eltora - queen of the garden

Short description

Rose El Toro is a hybrid tea variety of a flower that bewitches with the beauty of deep red, terry petals with carved edges. A distinctive feature of Eltora (as it is also called) is the change in the shade of the petals during flowering. The flower shimmers from a dark orange, fiery, scarlet, bloody tone to cherry and even almost burgundy at the end of flowering.

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The El Toro rose bush has straight, almost thornless stems 80-100 cm high. The bush is compact, dense, 40-60 cm in diameter, abundantly leafy. Leaves are carved in dark green color.

The bud has a cup-shaped shape with a height of 8-10 cm, and as it dissolves, it becomes very voluminous, thanks to the wavy shape of the petals, of which there are up to 40 pieces. The aroma of flowers is delicate and pleasant.

The bush blooms with proper care throughout the season - from spring to the onset of frost. The bud retains its color and shape for a long time both in a bouquet and in a flower bed (up to 30 days).

For your information! El Toro rose is cold-resistant and easily tolerates winter frosts down to -23 ° C. Also, this variety is resistant to disease.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

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For growing cut roses, this variety is perhaps one of the best due to a number of advantages:

straight stems practically without thorns;
large unusual bud;
unobtrusive aroma;
long-term durability after cutting.

Bouquet of roses El Toro

Among the disadvantages are the fading of the color of the petals in the sun at the end of flowering and the need for regular loosening of the root circle, since this variety loves loose, air-saturated soil and does not tolerate stagnant moisture.

Use in landscape design

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Rose El Toro is truly the queen of the garden, as, like other roses, she does not like being close to other flowering plants. It is optimal to use this variety for isolated planting or planting in a small compact group with other varieties of roses.The bright saturated color of Eltora will stand out favorably among the colors of light shades.

Note! As an exception, next to the bush, you can plant white gypsophila, lavender, lungwort or daisies. These plants will look harmoniously next to the rose and accentuate its splendor.

Growing a flower

The correct planting of a rose is the basis of its health, abundant flowering and longevity. It is necessary to take into account both the planting time, and the composition of the soil, and the location.

El Toro rose can be grown from seed, but this is a rather laborious process. It is more customary and safer to buy a seedling with stronger roots and immediately plant it in the garden.

What time is the boarding

The most suitable time for planting is the beginning of spring from March, when the air temperature will no longer drop below 10 ° C, to the end of May, but before the sun starts to heat up strongly, since the bush does not take root well in the heat, and the end of autumn. In autumn, the rose is planted from mid-September to the end of October, so that the seedling has time to take root before frost. The main thing is to take into account the weather conditions and soil temperature. In cold soil, a rose may not take root and die, according to scientists, the optimal soil temperature when planting rose seedlings in the ground for its rapid rooting is 12 ° C - 16 ° C.

Seat selection

In order for the El Toro bush to please with abundant flowering all season, you need to find a comfortable place for planting. To do this, several factors must be taken into account.

Free space. For good development, the roots of a rose require 60-90 cm both in depth and in diameter. And the above-ground part of the plant needs a well-ventilated, but protected from drafts, place, then the bush will not be exposed to fungal infections and pests. Personal space is one of the important factors for a rose's well-being.
Sunshine. El Toro loves sunny places where the sun shines for at least 6 hours a day. With insufficient illumination of the site, the bush will not bloom regularly, and the buds will grow small. It is not recommended to plant the plant near trees and shrubs; it is better to choose a place for it along the southern side of the fence or wall at a distance of 60 cm.
Fertile soil. For abundant flowering, El Toro, like other roses, needs nutrients. In no case should you choose a place with closely passing groundwater or a swampy area. The rose does not tolerate stagnant moisture. And in loose, well-drained, fertile soil saturated with organic fertilizers, the queen of the garden will thank you with lush, constant flowering.

Preparing the soil for planting

Having chosen a place for planting a seedling, you need to prepare the soil. To do this, remove all weeds, dig up and fertilize the ground. Then, planting pits are prepared up to 50 cm deep and 60 cm wide. Organic fertilizers (manure, compost) are introduced into the soil in large quantities, up to 2 kg (you need to choose mineral fertilizers and wood ash). Sand is added to heavy soil, and humus to sandy soil.

Note! To prevent stagnation of water, it is recommended to make drainage from rubble or sand.

How to prepare a seedling for planting

6-10 hours before planting, the seedling must be placed in water. Then it is carefully examined, the roots are cut to 25 cm, the patients are removed to a healthy area. Dry and weak branches are cut off, leaving 3-5 buds. Before planting, it is recommended to moisten the roots in a chatter box (a mixture of clay and mullein in a 3: 1 ratio) for better survival, you can also add a growth accelerator (1 tablet per bucket).

Rose seedling

Planting step by step

The following scheme will help to plant the El Toro rose correctly:

Pour a shovel of prepared soil with fertilizers at the bottom of the pit.
Place the seedling on top, while the root collar should be deepened by 5-7 cm. The roots must be straightened.
Cover the roots with soil, evenly distributing it between the roots and holding the seedling with your hand.
Compact the soil with your hands.
Water the bush under the root, without getting on the top.Watering is needed abundant, up to 2 buckets, it should be shed gradually, in small portions.
If the earth has settled, add earth.

Further care

The rose needs abundant watering up to 15 liters under the bush. In spring and early summer, when the green mass is growing and after the first flowering, it should be watered once a week, while moistening the soil to a depth of 40 cm, and in summer - once every 2-3 days.

Note! It is better to water the rose in the morning, with settled rainwater, using drip irrigation to prevent the soil from washing away from the roots.

Top dressing

The rose needs mineral and organic fertilizers almost all year round, except for winter.

In the spring, before the buds appear, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil.

In the summer they feed in this way:

in June, when buds are formed with nutrient mixtures;
in July for recovery after flowering with universal complex fertilizers for additional nutrition;
in August to enrich the soil with minerals and vitamins.

In the fall, to strengthen the roots and immunity of the plant, phosphorus and potassium must be added before wintering.

Pruning

El Toro hybrid tea rose blooms several times per season and requires regular pruning. The branches are cut 1 cm above the outer bud at an acute angle.

Pruning a bush

In the spring, they start pruning after the buds have swollen to 0.5 cm. 5-7 buds are left on the shoot.

In the summer, shoots are pruned selectively, choosing those that have faded, preventing the formation of fruits. The flower is cut along with the shoot 2-3 buds from the head.

In the fall, the bush is pruned in preparation for winter. It is necessary to cut out weak, dry and broken shoots, and only slightly prune healthy ones in order to preserve the bush when it freezes too deep.

Preparing for winter

The El Toro variety is frost-resistant, but it requires preparation for winter to protect it from sudden changes in temperature and moisture loss due to sun and wind. To do this, you need to spud the bush to a height of 30 cm with dry soil, and cover it with spruce branches on top.

The period of activity and rest of the rose

Rose El Toro blooms from mid-June to late autumn without interruption. The rest period begins only at a temperature of 3 ° C, when sap flow stops.

Note! Caring for a rose at this time consists in abundant regular watering, mandatory loosening of the soil, timely fertilization, and weed control. It is better to use rainwater for irrigation, which does not contain salts. The root circle can be mulched to retain moisture. It is necessary to loosen the soil deeply and thoroughly, without damaging the roots.

Reasons for the lack of flowers

There are several reasons why the El Toro rose does not bloom:

a poor-quality seedling was selected. The seedling should have 3-4 strong shoots and a developed root without signs of decay;
not enough light. The bushes are planted in a brightly lit place. In the shade, the rose will not bloom profusely;
the soil is not suitable. The soil for El Toro must be light and nutritious;
not suitable place. The rose planting site should be sunny, ventilated, without drafts, preferably on the south side of the house;
stressful wintering. After sudden temperature changes, severe frosts and icing, the flower needs time to recover.

Reproduction of roses El Toro

You can propagate a flower in different ways.

Seeds

The seeds are sown in April. They are placed in a container and kept cool with regular watering. They will hatch in 1.5-2 months, after which they should be transplanted into pots. After the appearance of six full-fledged leaves, you can send it to the open ground.

Growing roses from seeds

Layers

In the spring, choose a shoot located closer to the surface of the earth, clean it of leaves. An incision is made on any bud for root growth. The shoot must be laid in a prepared trench 10 cm deep, covered with earth, and watered regularly. In autumn, separate the process from the bush, cut off the top. The next year, transplant the seedling to a permanent place.

Cuttings

Choose a one-year-old shoot 5-6 mm thick and cut cuttings with three buds from the middle part. Plant the cuttings in the ground at an angle and place in a greenhouse.Rooted cuttings are planted in the ground next year.

Dividing the bush

An adult bush with a large number of shoots is dug out in early spring and divided into seedlings so that each has a part of the root and a shoot with 2-3 buds.

Vaccination (budding)

An incision is made on the root collar of the stock and moves apart.

Note! A peephole is cut from the stem of an El Toro rose and inserted into the incision. Tightly wrap the top with an eyelid film. Before winter, spud the rose 5 cm above the graft, and in the spring open it below the graft. After 10-14 days, the bud will sprout.

Diseases, pests and ways to control them

El Toro hybrid tea rose is resistant to many fungal diseases of roses, but if the plant is young and weak, the bush should be treated with fungicides against the most common diseases:

powdery mildew. On the upper side of the leaves, a white bloom appears, similar to flour, passing to the stems and buds. If you do not take action, the plant may die;
downy mildew. The underside of the leaf is covered with a fluffy white bloom, and the top with purple spots;
rust. Round orange pustules appear on the leaves.

Leaves affected by powdery mildew

Also, during the season, the treatment of the plant from pests is required:

rose aphid. It affects leaves and buds, covering everything with a sticky bloom. In this case, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the buds do not develop.
spider mite. Can damage a whole bush. It is manifested by the appearance of pale dots on the leaves, axils of shoots and buds.

Rosa El Toro is the real queen of the garden. Small difficulties with its cultivation will be completely offset by the delightful beauty of the buds and long flowering.