Growing roses and keeping them healthy especially in the hot summer months can be a challenge if you are new to gardening. That said, by doing just a few things there is no reason why you shouldn’t have big, healthy blooms that will last the summer months. Here are rose care tips to guide you:
Watering
As far as flowers go roses need more water than average. You need to make sure that your plants are watered properly at least 2 or 3 times a week. You can do this using a watering can if you have the time but if you don’t then you can buy an automated sprinkler system. The best time to get your roses watered is early in the morning before the sun heats up or late in the day when it has gone down. This way nothing is lost to evaporation.;
Pruning of deadheads
Deadheads are not healthy for your plants – not only are they unsightly, if they aren’t completely dead they are taking up nutrition away from the healthier parts of the plant. You can get rid of them by pruning. This means cutting their stems diagonally where they meet with the main stem. If you are not sure of technique you can look online for videos. Once they are gone new stems will sprout in their place which means more roses.;
Monthly feeding
Your roses need nutrition in order to survive the summer. Remember, every single bloom requires nutrition in order to look healthy so it is recommended that you feed your roses every couple of weeks. You can use a generic rose food brand such as Miracle-Gro or you can find out which fertilizers are best for your soil and climate. You can also feed them alfalfa pellets which are slow release and which will provide much-needed nitrogen.
Lots of sun
Roses need plenty of sun for them to thrive. Yours should be planted in a part of your garden that gets at least 3 hours of sun a day. That said, on days when it is too hot they may start to wilt. If this happens you can refresh them by spraying them with a blast of cold water.