Rose Bush Care

All roses, like other plants, will do better with a little loving kindness and attention. Left entirely to themselves they will deteriorate as they run out of nutrients and become cluttered with dead and spindly shoots that invite pests and disease.

Roses are very long-lived plants, and with careful pruning and regular feeding they should thrive for many years. It is not unusual to hear of roses still flowering well after 20 years. However, without proper care such as pruning regularly, roses lose vigor and gradually decline; the signs are dead wood, weak shoots and few flowers.

The first tip is to start out with a rose that is known to grow well in your climate. You can check with a garden center or your local county extension. The next thing is the site you choose. Roses need at least five to six hours of sunshine a day and even rose bushes that do well in shade still need at least four to six hours of direct sunlight to thrive.

 Soil is also very important. They don't like wet feet; in fact, the soil should be well drained and very fertile. If the soil is not the right balance for healthy roses it can be altered with a little compost.  Also, when planting, make sure you give roses room to breathe--they need air circulation to reduce the chances of an outbreak of fungus or bacteria.

Pest problems are a common irritant when growing any type of plant.  Roses are no different.  To sustain the life of your rose plant, it is necessary to correct the problem.  You have several options of how to deal with the pest problem after you have identified which type of bug you are dealing with.  If you remove just one or two bugs from your roses, make sure to remove the entire leaf as there is a chance the eggs could also be laid underneath the bottom of the rose leaf. 

There is also the choice of using synthetic or natural chemicals to help you get rid of pests.  Follow directions on the package carefully when using these types of chemicals.  If you are adamant about not using any type of chemicals on your rose bushes, there are natural enemies that can be used to keep your rose plants healthy as not all bugs are destructive to plants.  Lady bugs and various types of wasps eat pests that can damage rose bushes.  Check your local garden center or online to determine if this option is useful for the type pests you’re dealing with. 

Another part of rose bush care is pruning. This will allow your roses to spend all of their energy to produce new healthy growth – rather than trying to heal damaged or diseased areas. Pruning your rose bush encourages more blooms and if not done the rose will stop producing flowering shoots and the bloom will fade.

Here’s a quick guide that will aid you in producing an abundance of roses year in and year out.

January
Cover the ground next to your rose bush to prevent the roots from freezing.

February
Water dry ground around your rosebush during the warmest part of the day.

March
Kill any aphids and spider mites by spraying a dormant oil on the rosebush.

April
Prune to encourage growth cut off all dead and diseased wood and deep water your rosebush.

May
Water the rosebushes deeply, fertilize them with an organic fertilizer, and prune close to the green to eliminate unhealthy canes and leaves.

June
Keep your eyes peeled for pests, continue to deep water and remove any spent blooms to encourage flowering.

July
Mulch and water the rosebush.

August
Continue to water during the coolest part of the day and cut spent blooms.

September
Deep water every other week, leaving the last bloom in to prepare the rosebush for winter by allowing the rose hips to complete their growing cycle.

October
Deep water once this month if the heat has started tapering off.

November
Water only when the ground seems to be dry, keeping the area around the rosebush free of dead leaves or other debris.

December
Sit back, relax and start planning next year’s rose garden.