Roses

March and April Are The Months For Roses!

 Roses Need:

• Nutrient-rich, well-drained soil, well spaded or tilled 
• A minimum of 5 to 6 hours of sunlight daily
• A soil Ph level between 6.4 and 7.5. 

 Container Roses:

• Keep the potting mixture moist. When ready to plant, prune away any damaged canes or roots.
• Dig a hole large enough for the root system, container, and all.
• Cut the bottom out of the rose pot and set in the prepared hole, adding soil halfway up the pot.
• Cut the sides of the pot in two places and slide the sides out of the hole.
• Refill the hole with soil around the roots of the rose, taking care not to cover the bud union.
• Mulch your roses!

 Mulching Tips:

• If you mulched in the fall, now is the time to replenish.
• If you have just planted your new roses, mulch them. In summer mulching helps prevent moisture loss and reduces weeds. In winter it offers protection from damaging frost and wind.
• Good mulches include garden compost, well-rotted manure, pine needles, and wood mulches
• Mulch to a depth of about 4 inches, but keep mulch a few inches away from the rose canes.

 Pruning Tips:

• March is the time to prune roses. Examine your established plants and remove any dead or diseased canes.
• Always use sharp pruners and be sure to make a clean, angled cut just above a bud.
• Protect pruned roses from pests and disease by sealing the cut with a pruning compound
• Prune by cutting away all dead wood, any canes or stems that are weak, thin or diseased, or stems which rubs against other stronger stems. Aim to form a well-ventilated, open-centered shrub.
• After blooming, deadhead spent flowers to just above the second or third leaf

 Fertilizing Roses:

• Have your soil analyzed! This will tell you what you need to add.
• For newly planted roses add a little fertilizer after the first blooming cycle.
• For established plants, begin fertilizing in the spring about a month before blooming begins.
• For all roses, try to get at least 2 cycles of fertilizing done in the growing season and discontinue about six weeks before the last blooms appear.
• Use fertilizer especially formulated for roses!