by Plant Doctor

Created on: August 29, 2011

A guide to planting and caring for roses

Rose plants are the centerpiece of every garden, however many amateur gardeners find the task of growing a caring for roses particularly difficult.  However, with a small effort and the right guide you can easily have beautiful roses all year round in your garden.

Planting rose plants

Planting rose plants can be carried out throughout the year if transplanting a potted plant. If on the other hand, bare – rooted plants are selected, the best time is when there are no leaves on the saplings, between Autumn and early spring. In areas with mild winters, autumn planting is preferred in order to allow the plant to establish well before the spring growth. In areas where winter frosts are common, it is preferred to plant early spring, after the risk of frost has passed. Planting location is not very important; however a well light spot in the garden, protected from strong wings will favor both growth and flowering. This is particularly true for climbing (vine) roses.

Pruning roses

In the first three years of the life of new rose plants pruning consists only of removing old and dry twigs and stems. From then on it is an important step in maintaining a well preserve rose garden. Pruning takes place early spring, before the new growth. A good, rigorous pruning, removing old and dry branches and cutting back remaining stems to 1/3 of their length favors new growth and flowering.

More information on pruning roses can be found in this article.

Watering rose plants

Rose plants like cool and wet soils, so it is important to water frequently in order to keep favorable soil conditions for your plants. The actual watering regime depends on the type of soil in the garden. Light sandy soils may require frequent irrigation, while more fertile, rich water absorbing soils may benefit from 1-2 irrigations per week. Too much watering however, will not be good for your plants as it causes iron deficiencies.

Fertilization

For maximum and continuous flowering, the soil (either in pots or on the ground) can be enriched with organic matter (i.e. manure or compost) early in the spring. During the growth season (spring – end of summer) a fertilizer of the type 20 – 20 – 20 (NPK) or similar will prove beneficial for our plants. The addition of micronutrients secures maximum growth and uninterrupted blossoming.

Pest and disease control

The most common pest of roses are aphids. They can be controlled using biological control

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