How to Grow and Maintain Perfect Roses

Have you been thinking about growing a rose garden?  This can be one of the most difficult gardens to grow, but with the right instructions, you will be well on your way to having a beautiful rose garden with just a few tools from the gardening store.

 

What You Need To Know About Fertilizing

 

Fertilizing is an optimal part of growth.  You’ll need to mix plenty of organic material into the planting soil so that your roses will actually grow.  You can also occasionally apply a fertilizer that is rich in phosphate if your soil is low in phosphorous.

 

Once your roses have begun growing in the spring, you’ll need to fertilize.  A second application of fertilizer can be made in the middle of the summer.  Do not fertilize your roses in the fall because this can encourage late growth.

 

Water Fosters Optimal Growth

 

Your rose garden will also need water in order to grow.  While you want your plants to be moist, you don’t want them to be too wet.  Roses that have already grown are stronger but they will still require watering when there is a drought.

 

If you live in a dry climate, you will need to water your roses regularly.  Watering should be done slowly over several hours so that it soaks deeply into the soil.  Watering your roses frequently but for short periods of time will not moisten the entire root system.

 

You can also apply organic mulch at the base of the plant in the early summer.  This will keep the roots cool and moist even when there is a moderate drought.

 

Pruning Your Rose Garden

 

Pruning your roses is perhaps the most important part of growth.  In order for your roses to be healthy, you have to prune them. If they’re left to their own devices, they will be dense and tangled.  The best time to prune your roses is at the end of the dormant season.  This will be when the buds are swelling but before the new leaves appear.

 

First you’ll want to prune out dead or diseased growth, then branches.  The youngest plants should be pruned to approximately four stems, or canes, by removing weaker canes.  The more established plants can be pruned to eight or more canes, especially if you live in a warmer climate.  If you live in a cold climate, you’ll want to prune the remaining canes back to about one-third of their original height.


Pruning Tips

 

Pruning in the garden will open up the plant, which will let in light and circulation.  Pruning also stimulates growth of young, healthy canes. 

 

Next, cut the canes one-fourth of an inch above an outward-pointing bud at a forty-five to sixty degree angle.  During the roses’ growth period, remove any growth that’s weak or dead.  You can also remove suckers from the base. 

 

Many expert garden growers at your local plant nursery will disbud, which means they pinch out all buds except one per stem.  This will allow your roses to grow to their full potential.  Prune off flower stems when the blooms fade.  This will encourage repeated flowering.

 

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