Tips For Rose Bushes

There are lots of tips and tricks out there to help rose bushes bloom. Some of them have been tried and true while others are just plain old folklore.

Regardless of what you read, roses love sun and need full exposure to get the most out of their blooming potential. They also need adequate air circulation to help prevent fungal diseases like black spot and powdery mildew.

Planting

When you plant rose bushes, you want to provide them with the perfect environment. That means choosing a sunny spot that is well-drained and has room for root growth as the roses mature.

Roses prefer a soil that drains properly but holds moisture long enough for roots to absorb it, so it needs to be rich and loamy, leaning toward sandy or clay. Adding about 2 inches of compost around the planting hole helps to enrich the soil, too.

After the plants have been planted, water them regularly. Especially during dry summer weather. Avoid shallow sprinklings that won’t reach the deeper roots and encourage fungus.

Once the roses have been established, you may want to prune them lightly and selectively. Do this to train and shape them, or to control the size of the bushes.

Pruning

Pruning rose bushes is essential for stimulating new growth and flowering. It also removes dead, weak or sickly canes that drain energy from the rose and encourage disease.

The pruning season begins in late February and extends through March. It’s best to prune rose bushes before they start greening up and branching.

Some rose bushes, including hybrid teas and old garden varieties, bloom on new wood in the spring and fall, so these roses should be pruned during the season. Other types, such as Albas, Centifolias, Damasks and Gallicas, only bloom once, producing flowers on old wood; they don’t require pruning.

When pruning rose bushes, be sure to use clean, sharp pruners and wear gloves. Thorn pricks from stems can be very painful and can result in a variety of bacterial and fungal infections.

Fertilizing

Keeping your rose bushes healthy is essential for them to bloom, grow and survive in a variety of weather conditions. Having a good quality soil is key, but roses also require nutrients to grow and flourish.

Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium are the three primary nutrients your roses need. Each provides a different benefit, but they all work together to create strong, vibrant plants.

Fertilizers are available in a wide range of forms, including liquid and granular types. These can be sprayed onto the plants or sprinkled over the soil around the base.

Compost is another great fertilizer for roses because it provides a slow release of nutrients to the plant. Add a few cups to the base of each plant and work it into the soil.

Other organic fertilizers include fish emulsion, kelp meal or seaweed extract, and alfalfa. All of these are easy to use and provide a rich source of nutrients for your roses.

Pest Control

When it comes to pest control when it comes to rose bushes, many gardeners find that the best method is to rely on natural solutions. This helps keep the ecosystem of beneficial insects around the roses healthy, which can help deter most pests.

Aphids are the most common rose bush pest and often cause problems with wilted leaves or buds. They also produce a sticky substance called honeydew that attracts ants and can develop into sooty mold on the rose leaves.

Aphids can be controlled with a number of methods, including handpicking and destroying the insects or using insecticidal soap. Alternatively, a strong blast of water can knock off most pests and clean off the sticky honeydew produced by aphids, scales and mealybugs. Spraying regularly also removes sooty mold developed on honeydew.