Your growing roses will bloom for the first time this summer and you are wondering how to care for them so that they look great throughout the season. You are not alone; the topic of hot weather and roses preoccupies many who are new to rose growing. Fortunately, with some easy tips you can have a great looking garden. All you need to do is:
• Watering
Roses love water so you have to make sure that yours are getting enough of it. How much you water will depend on how hot the weather is and also the type of soil that your roses are growing in. The best time to water your roses is late in the day when the sun has gone down. If you water them in the morning or during the day they don’t get much hydration because it will evaporate. You can feed your roses at the same time by adding a bit of soluble fertilizer every few days to the water. Using a hose or a watering can make sure that each plant gets enough water but don’t over-water – it will kill your plants. On very hot days your roses may start to look wilted. You can bri9ng them back to life by blasting them with cold water from a hose. Be careful not to use so much force that blooms fall off.
• Pruning
You want to prune your roses on a regular basis so that air can flow through the stems and branches and keep the plants cool. If there is a lot of dead or nearly dead foliage in your rose plants not only is there a greater chance of developing diseases, they will also overheat and likely die. Additionally, excessive foliage takes food from other parts of the plant. Pruning is simple – using a pruner cut off any yellow or brown leaves at the point where they intersect with healthy ones. You should also remove leaves that have holes in them and those that are misshapen.
• Mulching
Mulch is great for your roses for two reasons – first, it provides added nutrition to your plants, and second because it holds moisture in place and prevents the soil around your roses from drying out. It is easy to make your own mulch – there are many online tutorials to guide you. If you can’t make your own mulch check with your local plant shop – most of them have mulch for sale.