Rose Care
Help your Roses Thrive
Growing roses can be a fun and rewarding experience for any gardener. Although they can have their thorny moments, which why we have collected all of our best tips and tricks and turned them into this handy guide. Whether your a seasoned green thumb or a beginner, you will find plenty of helpful tips and advice here to help you grow beautiful, healthy roses.
Where to Plant
Roses love a sunny spot in your garden. Avoid positions where there is competition from trees and other plants and places where other roses have been growing. If this is unavoidable, replace the existing soil with fresh soil – we recommend one wheelbarrow worth.
How to Plant
Soil Preparation:
Four to six weeks before planting your roses, we recommend digging your soil thoroughly. If you can, this is the time to incorporate old farmyard manure or compost to ensure a healthy and nutrient-rich base.
Timing
Potted roses can be planted all year round, be sure to keep them well watered after planting. Bare-rooted roses need to wait until winter. Once you have received your bare-rooted roses, make sure to keep them moist at all times, planting them as soon as possible. If planting can’t be done straight away keep them in a cool, draughtless place with plenty of water or heel them in.
Planting
When planting your roses, start by digging a hole large enough to hold the roots. The union between roots and branches should be just at the soil level. Half-fill the hole working the soil between the roots as you go. Then take half a bucket of water and tip it into the hole (this only applies when the soil is dry). Then fill the rest of the hole and firm the soil lightly. Newly planted roses will not need food until late spring.
Fertilising & Watering
Watering: Water your roses deeply to encourage roots to grow deep into the soil and help them withstand periods of dryness. Adding mulch in spring and summer will help conserve water, protect the roots from temperature extremes and discourage weeds. Make sure to keep mulches away from the stems to prevent any burning or bark disease.
Fertilising: Regular applications of Rose Fertiliser will help your roses grow and encourage the best flowering. You can also apply a liquid fertiliser when you spray.
Deadheading Tips & Tricks
Encourage further flowering with regular deadheading. Remove any spent flowers once they start to drop their petals. When the whole head has finished flowering, we recommend cutting back to an outward facing leaf with five leaflets to encourage future growth.
Spraying Schedule
Spring – Autumn: A regular spray program can help prevent pests and diseases. A standard combination spray available from most garden centres should do the trick. Alternatively, you can use a specialised spray for specific problems – we recommend consulting your local garden centre for advice.Winter: Apply a winter clean-up spray to get rid of overwintering fungal spores, aphid eggs, scale insects and mites. Make sure to gather and burn fallen leaves before spraying.
