How to Care for Roses

There are a variety of roses but it is best to find ones that are suitable to your zone. When browsing roses in your favorite plant catalogs or Henryfields online, keep the following keywords in the mind: subzero, disease free, drought tolerant, and easy-to-care-for roses. Do you enjoy big blooms or miniature variety? Do you prefer ones without thorns? What kind of scent would you like your rose to have? Would you prefer the climbing or the bushy kind? Note the deciding factors on a piece of paper to help you narrow down the rose out of the many varieties available. Taking the time to do this will achieve a greater satisfaction when you start off well to a good start at selecting the right one. Don't forget to ask for recommendations from a friend or your local cooperative extension that has more knowledgeable experience than you.

Plant Location

Roses and other plants that produce blooms and fruits tend to need an enormous amount of sunshine. The more exposure to sun the better your plant will reward you. You may try planting roses in part shade and may get blooms too, but it is better that roses are planted in full sun for better results. Do not attempt to hide them in the shade or under trees.

Soil Preparation

Neutral soil is the best for roses and a lot of other plants. At first planting the rose, a hole twice the size of the root should be dug. Add Miracle Grow potting soil into the hole. Add a teaspoonful of blood meal to age composted manure or decomposed plant material free of diseases to the soil and mix well. Set the roots of the rose in on top of the amended soil, hold it by the stem with a gloved hand straight up and refill the hole with dug soil but not all the way. Leave a couple inches of depth in the soil for water. Water thoroughly then add the rest of the soil to level. Roses love potassium and garlic, so do offer them banana peels and plant alliums near them.

Feeding

It is best done in late spring or early summer when the plant is producing and sending out new shoots. Miracle Grow Organic Choice bone meal contains high potassium. Potash in banana peels along with composted material should provide enough nutrients to maintaining healthy roses. Healthy plants are tolerant to insect infestations and diseases. Do not feed in autumn, as the plant needs to harden off to tolerate frost in the winter.

Pruning

Pruning produces many benefits to all plants. Selecting proper reliable pruning shears that is easy to use and ergonomically designed for your hand. A good pruning shears is between 10 and 14 dollars and are available at most stores. When pruning you are basically taking off unhealthy plant stems to allow new healthier ones. Vigorous producing variety will give off many healthy stems that tend to overcrowd each other. Prune off stems or stalks that are in between the others to allow air circulation. It is not necessary to trim the rose to ground level in the fall. You may however deadhead or take off expired blooms. Fiskars bypass pruner is a good choice.

Sources:

www.Lowes.com

www.Henryfields.com

www.Organicgardening.com