Roses are beautiful, fragrant plants that can add color to any garden. They are also easy to grow and care for.

Plant your rose bushes in well-drained soil that has plenty of air circulation. Prepare the soil by adding organic matter such as compost and manure before planting.

Planting

February is the perfect time to plant roses. They are dormant and looking a bit dull but by planting them now, they will be ready to get their roots expanding and grow stronger as the season warms up.

Choose a spot where the rose will be sheltered from wind and have 6-8 hours of direct sunlight a day. It’s also a good idea to prepare the soil with PRO-MIX Garden Mix before planting.

Once planted, water the plant thoroughly, ensuring that the roots are well-watered. * Newly planted roses need more frequent watering than established plants.

To help maintain the appearance of your roses, prune regularly. Start by cutting dead, damaged or diseased stems to encourage healthy growth. Next, cut away crossing or rubbing branches to prevent them becoming a source of diseases.

Remove weakened stems throughout the growing season and again after flowering. To avoid reinfection, consider composting: fallen leaves and spent blooms can be added to the compost pile.

Pruning

Pruning helps keep roses healthy, encourage new growth, remove dead or diseased canes, and train them to a desired shape. It also improves their appearance and allows you to control the amount of blooms they produce.

Prune early spring to remove diseased, broken or dead branches; prune in summer after flowering to shape bushes and control growth. Rambling and climbing varieties bloom first on old wood mid-summer; re-bloomers repeat on the current season’s growth.

In mild climates, weekly watering is adequate; in hot, dry, or windy locations, more frequent watering may be required. For optimum results, fertilize with a slow-release granular feed once a month from March through August.

Using a sharp knife or pruning shears, cut away any growth that is twiggy, weak or dead. Removing these canes will increase the number of blooms produced by the plant.

Watering

Roses need a lot of water, so it’s important to keep them well-watered during the growing season. Weekly watering in temperate climates is usually enough, but more frequent irrigation may be required if the weather is dry or windy.

The best way to water is to use a drip irrigation system that waters slowly, deeply and thoroughly without wetting foliage. This helps to maintain a deep root system and prevents the soil from baking hard in hot weather.

A mulch of compost, bark chips or other organic matter around your roses will help to conserve soil moisture and control weeds. Spread 2 to 4 inches of mulch over the soil surface or in between the stems of individual plants.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing your roses can help you maintain their appearance. It also gives them the nutrients they need to produce a lot of blooms.

Choose a fertilizer that provides all the necessary elements for healthy growth. For example, high-phosphorus fertilizers will encourage the best blooms.

A good rule of thumb is to fertilize your roses three times per year, based on the product’s label and application instructions. Apply in early spring immediately after pruning, and two more applications in early and late summer.

Generally, stop feeding about 6 to 8 weeks before your average first frost date to prevent new shoots from being damaged by low temperatures.

Besides the standard fertilizers, you can also use organic fertilizers that are better for the environment. These have different nutritional advantages, improve soil texture and support beneficial microbes.