Frequent Blunders That Are Harming Your Rose Plants
Blooming beautiful roses, a gardener's pride and joy, can be quite the challenge due to their reputation for fussiness. However, with a bit of know-how and some TLC, you can have these iconic flowers adding pops of color to any landscape. Here's how to keep your roses healthy and thriving.
For guidance, we turned to some green-thumbed experts:
- Wes Harvell, rosarian at Jackson & Perkins, a nursery specializing in roses, perennials, shrubs, and trees
- Adrienne Roethling, head gardener for a private estate and former curator at Plant Delights Nursery
Growing and Caring for Roses
Placement Pitfalls
Don't let a flower's beauty fool you; it may not be the best fit for your landscape. Overcrowding your roses, whether due to proximity to structures, fences, trees, or other roses, can limit sunlight and airflow, creating a breeding ground for diseases.
Pick a sunny, open area that gets at least six hours of sunlight daily. Ensure adequate space between roses to allow for good air circulation. Prune nearby plants as needed and remove any obstacles blocking light or airflow.
Variety Vagaries
With hundreds of species, thousands of cultivars, and countless relatives, it's crucial to research your chosen rose variety. Varieties like hybrid teas, floribundas, climbers, miniatures, and old-fashioned roses each have unique needs. Dedicate time to learning about your chosen variety, and develop a monthly to-do list.
Watering Woes
While overhead watering may seem easy, it creates moist conditions, increasing the risk of fungal diseases. Instead, water at the base of the plant so that moisture reaches the roots, keeping leaves dry. If overhead watering is unavoidable, do so in the morning to allow leaves to dry quickly in the sun.
## Hydration Hijinks
Roses require consistently moist soil, but too much or too little water can harm them. Overwatering can lead to root rot, underwatering stresses the plant, and causes poor growth. Water deeply once or twice a week, allowing the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings. Adjust watering frequency based on weather conditions.
Pruning Predicaments
Pruning is essential for a healthy rose bush, but incorrect pruning can leave your plant crowded, weak, or misshapen. Prune once a year, reducing the plant's height by about 1/3 to 1/2. Focus on removing dead, weak, or diseased canes. Open up the center of the plant to improve airflow and cut away growth below the graft union.
Yearly Pruning for Stunning Blooms
Disease Spread
Fallen rose petals can spread diseases, so clean up any fallen or infected leaves around your roses. Use sharp, clean pruning shears and disinfect them with rubbing alcohol between plants to minimize disease spread and ensure clean, healthy cuts.
Eliminating Essential Bugs
Not all insects are bad; some are even essential for a healthy garden. Using broad-spectrum insecticides to eliminate pests can kill beneficial insects, like pollinators and natural predators, throwing your garden's ecosystem out of balance. Choose natural pest control methods, like hand-picking pests off your roses, or grow plants that attract beneficial insects. If spraying is necessary, use selective products like neem oil.
Over-Fertilizing
Roses need fertilizer for optimal growth, but too much can harm the plant. Too much synthetic fertilizer can damage roots, harm soil life, and burn the plant. Instead of using synthetic fertilizers excessively, amend your soil with compost. Add compost to every planting hole or top dress existing roses, then add a slow-release organic fertilizer in the spring once the plant has started to leaf out.
Neglecting Deadheading
Failing to deadhead your roses during the growing season will cause the plants to put more energy into seed production, reducing flower output. Cut flower stems once blooms have finished to encourage more growth. Stop deadheading a few weeks before the first frost to allow the plant to prepare for dormancy.
- Martha Stewart, a well-known lifestyle and home-and-garden expert, recommends designing flower gardens with care to accommodate roses, ensuring they receive adequate sunlight, space, and proper watering.
- Adrienne Roethling, a head gardener and former curator, highlights the importance of understanding the unique needs of different rose varieties, advising gardeners to research their chosen variety and develop a personalized care plan.
- Wes Harvell, a rosarian at Jackson & Perkins, suggests pruning roses once a year to maintain their health, as incorrect pruning can lead to a crowded, weak, or misshapen rose bush.
- To maintain a balanced ecosystem in the home-and-garden, Steward advises against using broad-spectrum insecticides that may kill beneficial insects like pollinators and natural predators.
- Roethling emphasizes the importance of fertilizing roses appropriately, cautioning against over-fertilizing with synthetic fertilizers to prevent damaging roots, harming soil life, and burning the plant.
