Do you have roses? My friend Karen has them and she has always said that with a little extra effort, there is a huge difference in how they look. They add a ton of color to her yard, and as an added bonus, they always bring in the bees she needs for her garden.
If you plan on getting roses, or already have them, here’s a few tips on how to plant, feed, and prune them:
First, planting. If you have soil with lots of clay, make sure to add compost when you plant them. Also, choose an area with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. If your roses don’t get enough sun, it will totally affect how many flowers you get. {Do a little research to find the type of roses that do best in your area.} Finally, add a little mulch to ensure the roses stay cool and moist during the hottest parts of summer.
Next, feeding and watering your roses. Roses need to be fed about once a year–usually in spring as soon as the first leaves are out. Your local nursery should have some organic options for feeding roses. As far as watering goes, roses typically need about 1″ of water per week. Try, if possible, not to let sprinklers hit the leaves of your roses, because they are super susceptible to fungal infections.
Finally, pruning. A standard rule of thumb is to prune your roses when the forsythia blooms in your area. Pruning helps to make sure you get blooms all summer long. To prune, always cut the stem at a 45 degree angle. How often you prune depends on the variety of rose you chose. You can ask your local nursery for the specifics.
That’s pretty much it when it comes to maintaining your roses, as far as I’m concerned.
Do we have an prize-winning rose gardeners out there with more tips?
~Mavis
Roses Love Garlic: Companion Planting and Other Secrets of Flowers
carol says
Would love to hear what people do about black spot and rust on roses, while trying to grow them organically in the PNW?
Amanda says
I second this. I’m currently renting a house with about 5 rose plants and all of them have black spot, 1 has rust also. It looks like no one took care of them before 🙁 Last year I tried cutting them back (they were huge) and it looked like they were recovering, but this year it all just came back in force. Any suggestions?
Elyse says
I’ve inherited my dad’s love of roses and have bought at least one more every year. Basics are spraying the roses, watering at the roots and not on the leaves, and water in the morning. Check them often for black spot, and when you find affected leaves, remove them and make sure to trash them. Clean up any fallen leaves to prevent it from spreading. Roses also need good air circulation, so maybe try thinning the leaves where you see a problem to give them a chance to dry off before black spot appears.
Certain breeds of roses are more resistant to diseases, like knock-outs, and I hardly have to do much to them. I do have one bush that no matter what I do, it loses about every leaf due to black spot, but it continues to come back every year.