Roses have a reputation as being somewhat high maintenance in comparison to other flowers. Despite this a systematic approach will mean that none of the vital tasks are missed, ensuring plants stay healthy and deliver their maximum flowering potential.
The rose calendar should start with the planting of any specimens which were not put into the ground in the autumn. Planting may take place after ground temperatures have stopped freezing during the month of March.
Pruning should take place after the frosts of winter have finished, but before buds begin to burst open into growth. The exact time will depend upon the weather conditions that season, although the end of March to the beginning of April is often preferable.
At the same time roses should receive the first of their two annual feeds, it is recommended that a specialist rose fertiliser is used. Slow release granules may represent the best value, although a water soluble version may be used if one wishes. April may also be the best time to apply preventative sprays of pesticides and fungicides, giving the plant protection before problems appear.
A second round of feeding should take place as flower buds begin to develop from June onwards. A specialist rose feed should be applied before buds actually open into flowers, such a method will see larger flowers develop, as well as a greater abundance of flowering.
Once flowering has begun from June onwards, deadheading is essential; not only will this help to maintain a neat and tidy shrub, deadheading will prevent seed formation, thus encouraging the plant to put energy into additional flowering. The one exception to this is for roses which produce decorative hips, here flowers should be left, so as to allow the rose hips to develop, providing an extended season of interest beyond the summer.
Autumn should see the main planting season for next year’s rose beds. Plants should be put into the ground around mid October to November. Planting should stop once the frosts begin to arrive, as this may damage root systems or even kill specimens. Rose hips which have developed over the summer will also be ready to harvest for culinary uses during October, alternatively these may be left as winter feeding for the birds. At the end of November a gardener may also consider a secondary prune; the objective of this is to protect the plant from the effect of heavy snow damage, which may break canes.
Finally if a really harsh winter is expected, one may consider protecting more delicate specimens using hessian sacking or applying a ground cover such as straw.
Sources and Resources:
Lindner, S. 2008. A concise guide to Roses. Parragon.
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