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!
