Care Of Roses

Care of roses is not difficult. Though roses are still viewed by many as a troublesome and hard work plant, the truth is, the problems don’t usually arise from the roses, but from how they are used. Almost all problems can be solved and even avoided all together, with proper care of the plants.

When choosing roses, always consider the time and amount of work you can devote to your roses, to ensure beautiful and healthy plants. Roses are a great value as plants, flowering for several months and lasting easily 10-15 years with proper care. they don't need a LOT of attention, in fact many of mine seem to thrive on neglect! But a prune each year, occasional feeding, and deadheading during the flowering season will work wonders.

It helps if while buying them, you are careful to choose healthy plants, whether you are buying bare-rooted plants or plants in pots. Look for signs of fungal diseases on bare-roots and check that leafs of plants in pots are a brilliant dark green.

Where To Plant Your Rose

Take in consideration your site conditions while choosing roses. There are many roses to choose from and even if you have a windy or shady site, there is always one that will grow happily in your site. The wrong rose for the site conditions, will mean extra care of roses and not so good results. Sometimes it’s better to just move a plant that is not on a good location and plant it in another spot of the garden.

A good spot should have good air circulation, which helps prevent fungal diseases and soil that retains moisture. It should also allow easy access to the plant and receive enough sunlight. 6 hours a day is recommended. If there is a tree or shrub nearby, check that it will not cover the plant in shade most of the time.
Read more about planting roses

Containers

Growing roses in containers is easy, if you are careful with watering and feed the plants with rose fertilizer. Patio roses and rose miniatures are great for busy people, because at the end of the flowering season, you just let them stay in their containers or pots for next year, contrary to other plants, that will die after it or need special care.

Common pest and diseases, like the blackspot and mildew can be prevented or at least treated. Rust is the most serious disease and it can be fatal. Planting roses with companion plants, for instance, will help protect them from pests.

Pruning Your Roses

Care of rose climbers always involves pruning, though other rose types also need some pruning. The key to prune is to do it at the right time and always remember that the plant will grow back, if you find that you end up pruning more then you wanted to. With the right techniques and tools, pruning is not difficult, even for beginners and the benefits will be more flowers, healthy plants and achieving your purpose, whether it’s a rose arch or flowers to cut and take inside.

Worn out plants that have few flowers and lots of dead wood may still last years with a good hard pruning and feeding. If the plant is dead, then dig it out and plant another rose in another spot of your garden. Never plant a rose on the exact spot where there was another one that died, because that will increase the chances of diseases on the new plant.

Newly planted roses need to be cared for, with deep watering to encourage healthy root systems. While doing this, take the time to also remove weeds that appear around the plant, so that they will not use the water and nutrients the rose will need.

Deadheading your roses is easy and it will encourage new flowers to form. If you take care of our cut roses, they will last a lot longer. Things as easy as cutting it with a sharp knife or scissors and cutting a bit of the bottom of the stem every few days, will achieve great results.

Treat them well and with care and your roses will reward you with years of color and fragrance.