Growing prize-winning roses is a skill developed over time. Before your roses can win awards, you must learn what goes into creating the perfect bloom. These tips will help you go from a casual rose gardener to a proud pro.
What Do Roses Need?
Roses need three essentials to flourish. They are:
• Sun
• Perfect soil
• Support or height management
Roses love the sun. Plant your roses in an area of your garden that receives full sun all day. If that’s not possible, place roses on the east side of your garden.
Before planting roses, test your soil’s pH. Your landscaper can perform the test for you. The best roses grow in soil with a pH between six and seven.
This means that your soil is slightly acidic to neutral. The low end of neutral on the pH scale, 6.5 to 6.6, gives you the best chance of prize-winning roses. Your landscaper can advise you on ways to bring your soil to the perfect pH.
Shrub roses, or rosebushes, may need the support of rose stakes. Prune roses after the last frost and remove dead wood when shrubs begin producing.
How Do I Care for Roses?
Roses need care to produce a winning flower. The basics of rose care include:
• Watering
• Fertilizer
• Aphid control
In addition to an inch of water per week at the base of the plant, roses need a weekly light bath. You can give your roses a shower on a sunny day. Use the light setting on your garden hose nozzle. If you’re only tending a couple of shrubs, you can use a large spray bottle.
Landscapers advise using fertilizer on roses no more than every six weeks.
If your roses have leaves with holes, are dropping petals or just not thriving, look for tiny, pale green aphids on the stems and undersides of leaves. An inexpensive, old-school solution to aphid control is to combine one part dish soap and three parts water in a spray bottle and spray stems and the undersides of leaves regularly. The dish soap should be the regular type, not “ultra,” degreasing or antibacterial.
What Type of Rose Should I Grow?
Prize-winning roses don’t only come from shrub roses. Other varieties to choose from are:
• Miniature roses
• Climbing roses
• Tree roses
• Groundcover roses
For prize-worthy shrub roses, prune and leave only four canes (branches) on the bush for the largest blooms.
You can grow miniature roses in extra-large planters on sunny patios.
Climbing roses are probably the easiest for beginners wanting to break into rose-growing competitions. You’ll need a sturdy wooden trellis.
Tree roses are spectacular landscape elements. They require some expertise in height management and pruning.
Take care to keep fertilizer off the leaves and blooms of groundcover roses to avoid burns. Water with a hose or sprinkler set to the lowest setting. Be careful not to overwater.
Things to Remember:
• Roses need sun
• Soil pH must be neutral
• Keep an eye out for aphids
Are you ready to grow your own prize-winning roses? Contact us today to see how we can help.
Thanks for providing expert tips for cultivating healthy and vibrant roses, and offering valuable guidance for rose enthusiasts seeking to achieve horticultural excellence. What are some common challenges faced by rose growers?