Rose Black Baccarat

For most rose growers, it is a matter of honor to have a Black Baccara rose (synonym - Black Baccara) in their collection. The variety has such a deep and velvety maroon shade that from the outside it seems almost black. Considering that attempts to bring out a rose of real black color have been going on for more than a decade and no one has succeeded in achieving 100% of the result, we can say that this variety is the closest to the desired one.

Black Baccarat was bred in France, and the work continued for a long time: the breeders of the House of Meilland started them in the middle of the last century. The varieties of dark roses Carte Noire and Celica were used as parents. The rose received official recognition in 2004.

The variety belongs to the hybrid tea group, characterized by an erect bush up to 1 meter high and an average diameter of 70 cm. Straight shoots have a small number of thorns and are covered with glossy, highly glossy foliage. The leaves are colored dark green with a slight reddish tint.

Each stem produces one goblet bud of black and red shades that turn into rich maroon tones during flowering. A medium-sized flower (7-8, sometimes up to 12 cm) in color has neither variegation nor two-color. Densely double, single cup-shaped flowers contain from 40 to 45 petals of a classic shape and have a subtle aroma.

Thanks to the genetic set of parent crops, the variety has such excellent qualities as:

• tight buds;
• abundance of flowering;
• velvety texture of the petals;
• repeated and prolonged flowering;
• perfect shape of petals and flower;
• straight and even stems, suitable for creating bouquet arrangements.

The external attractiveness of the bushes is beyond praise - this is a real extravaganza of living beauty. Black Baccarat has good heat resistance, but rather weakly withstands rain.

If we talk about the varietal characteristics of the rose, then its flowering occurs in the first summer month and lasts until September due to the ability of Black Baccarat to open the bud for a long time, and then hold the flower for as long (from 10 to 20 days). The abundant coverage of peduncles is also facilitated by the fact that if at the beginning of summer only one bud appears on each stem of Black Baccarat, then by the time of re-flowering the shoots branch and give a larger number of inflorescences (2-3).

The variety shows 100% suitability for landscape design. The rose is good as a soloist and in group plantings, it perfectly shows its visual and decorative qualities against the background of white varieties.

The variety is characterized as a subspecies of high frost resistance. The rose is able to withstand temperatures down to -23-29 degrees. The variety is adapted for the southern regions and central Russia, but the latter requires the organization of a shelter for the winter.

The optimal planting time for Black Baccarat is the autumn season. Such a regime is justified by the genetic characteristics of the culture. Like most pink varieties, this one prefers mild winters and a long entry into the growing season.A rose planted in autumn, after only 10 days, already increases the mass of thin roots. In the spring, they will all give shoots, which means that a dense bush will quickly form.

After winter, the rose, together with everyone, will enter the time of awakening and building up green mass. Spring planting is justified only in regions with severe winters, there will be a noticeable lag in the development of the bush in the first season. The depth of the pit is 50x50 cm. A drainage layer is required at the bottom. The dug soil is enriched with organic matter, manure or humus, superphosphate and complex mineral fertilizers are added.

The variety prefers to grow in partial shade. The rose grows well on loose, breathable and well-drained soils. The soil should be enriched with organic matter, mineral fertilizers and have a medium acidity level (pH - 4.6-6.5).

After planting, caring for a rose consists of watering, weeding, loosening or mulching, feeding, pruning and preparing for the winter period.

• Watering. Carried out on a regular basis in the first months after planting in the morning or evening hours. For an adult bush, watering becomes moderate, in a rainy summer it is not carried out at all. Irrigation is carried out at the root, trying to avoid getting drops on the leaves.
• Loosening. This technique helps to avoid the formation of an earthen crust, saturates the earth with oxygen, and breaks off the thin roots of weeds. The event can be replaced by mulching, using peat or freshly cut grass for this.
• Weeding helps the culture to survive the competition for nutrients.
• Top dressing. The rose loves manure, so the ideal top dressing is watering with mullein infusion. In early spring, she will need nitrogen to stimulate the formation of vegetative mass. In July, plants need phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, in September, potash compounds are applied under each bush.
• Pruning. In the spring, they carry out a sanitary one, removing old and diseased shoots and cutting off the stems to 4 buds. Autumn is the time of maximum pruning. Summer shoots are shortened to 40 cm, last year's are cut off.

USDA Black Baccarat hardiness zone - 5. This means that the plant is able to withstand frosts down to -29 degrees. At such winter temperatures, the bushes are covered with spruce branches and agrofibre.

The variety is moderately resistant to some fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, rust and black spot. In conditions of prolonged rainy weather and constant waterlogging, the plant's immunity decreases. For prevention purposes, the culture is treated with copper sulfate or special protective agents for roses. In the fight against aphids, leafhoppers and thrips, insecticides are used.

Black Baccarat is propagated, like most other varieties and hybrids, in two ways:

• vegetative (cuttings);
• dividing an adult and well-grown bush.

The latter method is less popular, since plants at least 5 years old are suitable for it, and this disables them for a long time. The rose is under severe stress, after which it takes a long time to recover. During division, the bush is divided into 2 parts. A larger number of divisions is not recommended: all parts may die.

Shoots of the current season, regrown and resilient, are suitable for cuttings. The stalk should not be cut from the soft and flexible top. The trunk must be well matured and strong. The length of the cutting is 10-20 cm, the lower cut is oblique, the upper cut is made straight, at an angle of 90 degrees to the shoot. The leaves are cut to a third, preventing excessive evaporation of moisture. The cut cuttings are kept in a solution of a root formation stimulant or the slices are powdered with it. Cuttings are planted in neutral soil, consisting of a mixture of coarse-grained decontaminated river sand, vermiculite or peat.The plantings are covered with agrofibre or plastic wrap, regularly ventilated and moistened.