Roses are wonderful flowers, but they do need a certain amount of care and attention. No matter how challenging the care of roses can be, it’s always rewarding to see a strong and flourishing rose bush. While it’s true that you will spend more time on rose maintenance than with many other plants, the care you give them can be done easily while simply enjoying the blooms. Many people choose not to grow roses because they believe roses involve too much work. This really is unfortunate, because although there are easier plants to grow, (the indigenous weeds in your part of the world for instance) roses don’t deserve the reputation they have for being 'difficult'.
If you follow these simple guidelines, it isn’t complicated to have your roses growing beautifully and your rose plants healthy.
During the flowering season, make a point of feeding your roses with a specialized rose fertilizer that is formulated specifically for them. The balance of nutrients required by roses differs to that required by other plants. Choosing one which contains the correct proportions of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus will make sure that your roses have a balanced diet. There are many branded rose feeds available and your local garden shop should be able to help you with your choice.
Be vigilant. When it comes to pests and diseases, this can mean the difference between bringing them under control quickly and easily, and spending the rest of the season playing catch-up. Black-spot, mildew and blight, and then insects like the Japanese beetles and aphids are some of the more troublesome pests and diseases to affect roses. Using chemicals early enough can prevent infestations and fungal diseases from getting a toe hold, but always use chemicals specifically designed for roses and of course, always apply them according to the dosage instructions. When used as prescribed, a weekly application of fungicide will control powdery mildew which can be a particular problem in moister, warm weather.
Many pesticides don’t make a distinction between the beneficial insects and the pests they’re designed to control and they may harm the good bugs as well as the bad. If you’re a gardener who prefers to use organic methods to deal with insect infestations, one choice is to buy one of the organic soaps that are available. Another option is to use a biological control. Biological control is where you purchase the eggs and larvae of beneficial insects and set them loose on your roses to eradicate their natural prey, the pests.
Under normal conditions a rose will need about an inch of water each week. Obviously this can vary with the type of climate you enjoy. During hotter spells an inch may not be enough, but a regular check on the condition of the roses should enable you to decide on their needs. Drip irrigation is the best way to water roses as it releases water slowly over an extended period which then allows the water to soak down into the soil at root level. This is accomplished with the use of soaker hoses that are trailed through your rose bed hidden under the mulch. Keeping the roses mulched with pine needles or bark will conserve water, cool the soil and serve to keep the weeds down too.
Summer pruning is really confined to 'dead-heading' your roses. This is simply a removal of the spent blooms which will then encourage new growth and therefore more flowers. On Hybrid Tea roses, you’ll notice that the terminal buds, the ones at the very tips of the canes, are the first to form. Soon after this, the secondary buds begin to form. Removing these secondary buds early allows the rose to concentrate its energy in the terminal bud, allowing the rose to produce a larger bloom. These secondary buds can be pinched out with your fingers.
Continually check for any dead or diseased canes as you walk through your rose garden. These should be removed as soon as possible, but don’t be too brutal with your pruning at this time of year. Rather than using weed killers around your roses get into the habit of removing weeds by hand as soon as they appear. At this stage it’s easily done, but if you leave it too long and the weeds are allowed to establish themselves, then you can easily lose control. As the roots of your roses are very close to the surface, the use of herbicides can severely weaken the plants and possibly even kill them, so their use is not really a sensible option.
Keith Berwick is a rose growing enthusiast of 40 years and enjoys helping others to get started in this rewarding hobby. For more great information on caring for roses, visit www.rosecaretoptips.com
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