When it comes to rose flower growing, there are a number of tips and tricks to follow. Some of these are common sense, while others might surprise you.
Aphids and other insects can wreak havoc on your roses, but you can fight back with a spray made of equal parts mild dish soap and cooking oil. This will irritate the insects and keep them from feeding on your plants.
Planting
Whether you’re growing a single rose or several, planting is an essential step to ensuring healthy growth. Use a generous amount of organic matter at the bottom of the planting hole to help with drainage.
Once a rose bush is established, fertilize it with compost or slow-release granular fertilizer monthly. This will give it a steady supply of nutrients throughout the blooming cycle.
It’s also a good idea to mulch around the base of your roses. This will conserve water and reduce stress. A 2 to 4-inch layer of leaves, grass clippings, or shredded bark works well.
Pruning
Pruning promotes new growth, removes dead or diseased canes and trains roses to a desired shape. It also keeps a plant looking tidy and encourages blooming, both more flowers and larger blooms.
Hard pruning, called “thinning out”, removes one-third of the very oldest canes. This helps rejuvenate the shrub while leaving enough mature wood to keep a good supply of flower-producing canes.
When pruning, make each cut about 1/4” above a healthy bud and be sure to leave enough space between the cut and bud to allow water to run off. Protect newly cut canes from rot and rose borers with a compound like Bonide’s Garden Rich Pruning Sealer.
Summer pruning improves rose quality, stimulates new growth and can also help encourage a second bloom burst in hot climates. Pruning in the fall is controversial, however, as some believe it stimulates growth that will die off when winter comes.
Watering
Watering is an essential part of maintaining rose flowers. It is recommended to water roses early in the morning to allow the water to soak deeply into the soil.
The amount of water needed to keep the roses happy will depend on the type of soil in your garden and the climate in which you live. In general, roses in sandy soil need more frequent watering than those in clay-type soil.
A mulch of peat moss, compost, straw, shredded bark, or other organic matter around the base of the plant will help conserve moisture and control weeds. The mulch also helps to retain soil nutrients as it decomposes.
Fertilizing
Fertilizers are an important part of the rose growing process, as they help your plant grow strong and produce blooms. They also provide essential micronutrients, like calcium for good leaf and flower development.
There are several fertilizers available, from granular (or spreadable) varieties to liquid sprays. They all work in different ways, so choose the one that is right for your garden and plants.
Organic fertilizers, such as manure, compost, bone meal, fish emulsion and alfalfa are more beneficial for the environment than inorganic alternatives. While they are more expensive than store-bought formulas, they can help your garden improve soil quality over time.
Disease Control
A good disease control program is important to a healthy rose flower garden. This includes identifying and controlling diseases, weeds and other plant issues.
The best way to protect your roses from diseases is to select disease-resistant varieties. This will minimize disease problems in the future and also reduce the need for fungicides.
This is especially true for roses that have a long growing season (such as roses in the Rambler and Fragrant classes). When choosing cultivars, choose those that have shown resistance to specific diseases.
Start preventive treatments with Daconil(r) fungicide every seven to 14 days at what’s known as bud break in early spring, so new leaves are protected right from the beginning. Avoid overwatering, as wet leaves are more susceptible to disease than dry ones.