Roses are one of the most beautiful and fragrant flowers that have been cherished by gardeners for centuries. Getting your roses to look their best is easy, as long as you follow the basic guidelines for taking care of them. Here are 5 tips on caring for roses.
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5. Take off the Dead Blooms
When the blossoms have finished blooming, cut them off and this will cause the plant to produce even more. Some rose varieties will only produce a few blooms, but others will constantly blossom all summer long when the old flowers have been cut off.
4. Mulch with Organic Products
Using pine needles, wood chips, or grass clippings keeps the weeds down around your roses. Applying plenty of mulch will also help to keep the ground from drying out quickly between watering and protect your roses from a number of diseases.
3. Water Regularly
If you get at least an inch of rain a week, then you don’t have to worry about watering the roses. They require at least this much water to grow properly. People who live in arid regions often have an irrigation system installed that will allow water to slowly drip on to the soil around the roses, for adequate watering.
2. Prune Early in the Spring
You can start pruning when tiny red buds begin to form on the branches. Each new bud will be a brand new branch. Wait until you start to see these buds before you begin to prune, that way you will know if you need to cut any dead branches off as well. Try to leave at least 4 to 5 healthy branches.
1. Fertilize Regularly
Roses use up a lot of nutrients from the soil. In order to make sure that your roses look their best, fertilizing them regularly with a special formula for roses is necessary. There are fertilizers that have granules which slowly release food for your roses al season long. If you don’t choose a slow-release fertilizer, then there is liquid plant food you can apply weekly.
I think roses are an elegant flower and love the different varieties available. I have one climbing variety that always amazes me with the number of blooms it produces during the summer. Do you have a rose garden or just a single plant? In your opinion, are they easy to care for?
Top Photo Credit: jerikojosh
