As Valentine’s Day rolls around yet again, it’s that time of year to send some flowers to your loved one. Roses are always a particular favorite so today we’ll look at how to grow roses in your garden so you can have a supply year in and year out.
The Basics
- A rose is from the genus Rosa in the Rosaceae family.
- It’s a woody perennial with over 100 species alongside thousands of cultivars.
- This plant is mostly native to Asia and appears in a wide spectrum of colors.
- Roses have long been linked with Valentine’s Day and romance so how about growing these wonderful flowers at home?
Where To Plant Your Roses
Roses are pretty flexible and hardy, coping well with diverse conditions. Direct sunlight produces best effects. Give your roses 4 hours or more a day of direct sunlight and they will thrive. You are better off keeping your roses a little further away from your other plants. If you put them too near then the plants will need to compete for sunlight and moisture. Try to keep them 3 feet away from other plants and at least a couple of feet from other roses. Areas exposed to strong winds should be avoided. Wind can loosen up the bases of your roses in the soil. The rose will rock, bend and likely snap off. If roses are damaged in this way, you can try rescuing them using a stake.
When To Plant Your Roses
The great news with roses is that you can plant them at pretty much any time of the year. You should exercise common sense and stop short of planting if there’s a frost, drought or the ground is waterlogged. Sidestepping such extremes of weather, roses are good to go year-round.
Planting Made Easy
- There’s absolutely no need to be intimidated by roses.
- These prickly plants are actually deceptively easy to plant.
What To Do
- Dig a hole large enough for your rose. The bump above the root system is called the grafted area. This should be 2 inches below your finished grade line
- Make sure the roots have adequate room then firm up around the plant then form a small mound of soil in the center of the hole
- Add 1/3 cup of bone meal to kickstart the root system nicely
- Put your rose in the planting hole. Be careful of the roots and slowly add some soil
- When the hole is about half filled, chuck in 1/3 cup Epsom Salts. Sprinkle it all around and work it nicely into the soil
- Fill the hole with soil tamping and mounding it to round off
- Watch for moisture levels over the coming weeks. You should be aiming for moist rather than wet
Watering Your Roses
As mentioned, you want to keep the soil damp but not soaked with roses. With shrub roses or roses in pots, 5 liters each time you water is about right. Double up for climbing and rambling roses. During the rainy months, you shouldn’t need to water your roses at all. In a prolonged dry spell, water new roses every 2 or 3 days and established plants at least weekly. When watering, you should stay as close to the base as possible. Make sure you do not overwater either the foliage or flowers. If you do water the foliage, you risk encouraging diseases. Take care that the pressure on your hose is not too fierce for the delicate rose flowers. The great thing about growing roses is that they really do demand relatively little by the way of upkeep.
Pests and Diseases
Like any plant, roses are prone to pests and diseases. Rose Clear is a highly effective spray that deals with most pests. Caterpillars and aphids are the most common bugbears you will face. Rust, powdery mildew and black spot are the main diseases likely to strike your roses down. Spray according to the package instructions at the first sign of any fungal outbreak.
Dead-Heading
It’s sound practice to dead-head your roses to keep them looking good and remaining healthy. Dead-heading will encourage repeat flowering and is also a good way to shape your roses. Do this as soon after each flowering as you can for best results.
Wrap-Up
We hope you’ve enjoyed our look at this most romantic of flowers and that you might give it a go growing some at home. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are always delighted to help.
Now…
Don’t forget to order some flowers in a couple of weeks from now!