Caring for Roses

Roses are often the star and celebrities of the garden. As with any diva, they require some behind-the-scenes care. Routine deadheading, watering, and fertilizing, as well as some back-up support and mulching will keep them stage-worthy all summer.     

Lighting 

If your rose is already planted, it’s likely not an option to move it now in mid-summer. But sometimes you can shape the plants around it to ensure it’s getting the spotlight. Six hours of light per day is the minimum. Morning light is golden and helps to evaporate any dew that collects overnight. Ideally, a bit of afternoon shade will protect its delicate features from the hot sun. 

Refreshments  

In dry summer weather, soak the roots of the rose about twice per week. This is better than more infrequent shallower waterings that don’t get to the roots and may encourage diseases. Water around the base of the plant, as wet leaves can encourage fungi. It’s best to water in the morning, so any moisture on the leaves evaporates. In the autumn, reduce your watering, but don’t let the rose dry out completely. If the blossoms are dry and wilted, it’s a sign your rose needs a refreshment. 

Companion Planting for Roses 

Give your roses some teammates or back-up singers. A few stage mates can improve the soil, ward off pests, and compliment the beauty of the rose blossoms.   

• Alliums—like ornamental onions, chives, and garlic—repel aphids, weevils, and borers. The blue or purple flowers of many varieties make a great color contrast to the reds and pinks of roses. They enhance the perfume of the rose. And they can even prevent blackspot.
• Geraniums repel aphids, Japanese beetles, and other rose beetles. 
• Marigolds help repel nematodes, aphids, and many pests. 
• Lavender, Sage, and Catmint act like living mulch, suppressing weeds, retaining moisture, and covering the bare legs of the rose with beautiful colors. They compliment both the scent and color of the rose. If there is any pause in the rose’s blooming, they fill in the space with their long-lasting flower spikes.    
  
  

Keep in mind that roses don’t like competition, so make sure your companions are not competing with your star for the spotlight. They should be planted at least a foot away from your rose, so they are not disturbing their roots. Ideally, they’ll have the same growing requirements: full sun and average water.  

Healthy Soil   

Any top performer needs a healthy diet and comfortable housing. Roses are no exception: they need well-draining, fertile soil. Organic fertilizers and mulch are your best friends for enhancing soil health. 

• Add compost or organic fertilizers such as fish meal or kelp meal to feed your roses before and throughout the blooming season. 
• Mulch the soil around your rose to feed the soil microorganisms, retain moisture, and prevent rainwater from splashing dirt onto the leaves. Bark, grass clippings or shredded leaves are your best choices. Keep mulch an inch or two away from the crown of the plant to prevent stem rot. You may replace the mulch around the rose once per year—typically in the spring—to control the spread of fungi.

Deadheading Roses 

Sometimes a star has to cut some material that’s not working anymore. Removing the spent flowers will direct your rose’s energy away from forming seeds and encourage it to continue blooming. 

How to do it? Clip away the faded flowers just above the first leaflet. When a whole stem has finished flowering, you can cut the entire stem down to the next nearest leaf. It’s best to cut stems on a diagonal to help rain to run off rather than penetrate the open wound. Plus, diagonal cuts are also more pleasing to the eye.

Disease Control 

Is your rose getting rusty? Prune away any growth that shows signs of disease, like black spot, rust, or powdery mildew. Also, be sure to remove any dead branches. Remember not to add any diseased material to your compost and to wipe your blades with rubbing alcohol between each cut. 

Bushes that have dense leaves may harbor moisture that encourages fungi. To promote airflow, you may want to prune away some interior branches. However, it’s best not to prune in the summer when the rose is vulnerable to heat, save the major shaping for the springtime.   

Preparing for Winter 

Stop removing the spent flowers early in the fall to let roses prepare for winter. This will encourage them to slow their growth and go to sleep before winter sets in. You’ll also want to remove any diseased or dead branches at this time.  

Pruning in the Spring 

Besides clearing away any branches that became damaged over the winter, spring is the ideal time to prune your rose into shape. A rose with spacious branches that encourage airflow is a happy one. To ensure the new branches grow outward, only cut above outward-facing nodes. The node is the little bump or bud on a stem that will sprout a new branch below the incision.   

These simple tips will keep your roses performing for many years to come. If you’d like more information or just wish to gush about your favorite roses—feel free to contact us or visit our garden centers in Lothian, Alexandria, and Belle Haven!