Advice for Growing Healthy Roses
Roses are actually very simple plants to look after in British gardens. Below are a few simple steps to guide you through the essentials which will help your roses thrive.
Before Planting:
- Good soil preparation is the easiest way to ensure healthy roses. Adding compost will improve almost any soil.
- Check planting positions have appropriate light with some direct sunlight and good air circulation.
- Good water drainage is essential to prevent plants becoming waterlogged. Pebbles beneath can assist wtih this.
Planting your Roses:
Dig a generous hole making sure to distribute and break up the soil at the bottom.
- Check the hole is deep enough before removing the plant from the pot.
- Water the plant well before removing it from the pot.
- Placing one hand over the top of the pot, with the plant in between your fingers, turn the plant upside down.
- If the plant does not slide out of the pot, tap the rim of the upside down pot gently to ease it out.
- Ensure that the finished soil level is at the point at which the stems of the rose grow out of the root.
- Water again, ensuring each planted rosebush receives half a bucket worth of water.
Care after Planting & Feeding
The first two or three weeks after planting are very important. Plants may suffer shock from replanting. Leaves may droop, stems can wilt.
- It is important to water the plant daily, in the morning and evening.
- While water is the most important element to sustain roses in their early days, too much is equally as detrimental to their well-being.
- If you are regularly watering the plants and notice yellowing leaves, this is indicative that the
plant is taking in too much water.
- If however, you aren’t watering as often as necessary, yellowing leaves can also be symptom that the plant isn’t getting the water it needs.
- The more nutrients present in the soil, the happier roses will be. In early season, use a fertiliser high in nitrogen, which promotes growth and green foliage.
Dead Heading
- Deadheading encourages more flowers to bloom.
- Removing the old flower heads will encourage the plant to put energy into new shoots and more flowers for later in the season.