Rose Care in the Growing Season

Rose Care in the Growing Season. June 27, 2023.

My favorite part of the day during the warm season is walking through the garden. This daily ritual is when I look at how everything is doing and make mental notes on the progress of different areas. It is a good habit to get into if you are serious about gardening. My mind files mental notes on what is clearly thriving and what is not. Perhaps something isn’t getting enough sun? Or maybe another plant is scorching in the afternoon sun? Are there things that I need to move in the Autumn? This is an enjoyable time for the gardener to mentally check progress during the flowering season. And what is most exciting at Hidden Bluff right now is how well the roses are doing in their first year here. Most have lots of healthy, glossy foliage and large blooms. It is the best part of my day to walk through to see the results of all the care put into them.

There are various levels of rose enthusiasts. To no surprise, I am right in the middle. I do not want to hours upon hours caring for them as this isn’t a career. However, I do want healthy, bountiful roses, so the middle ground option it is. Middle grounders weekly tend roses during the growing season in addition to Autumn/Winter care. They prune with thoughtfulness and deadhead weekly. The roses are routinely fed as well as sprayed and watered regularly. All these things contribute to healthy roses that look beautiful in your garden.

rose care in the growing season- things to do.

Of course, roses are hardy and some will grow with little or no care in the right area, but if you really want to grow high quality roses that look healthy and stand out some care is needed. And as it turns out rose care in Spring and Summer isn’t too time consuming. The following is a basic checklist for getting started. Doing the following things will go far to help prevent rose disease and keep your roses healthy and gorgeous.

1. Feed your roses every few weeks according to directions of chosen rose food. I am using Maxsea which calls for feeding every 1-2 weeks.
2. Deadhead roses weekly to promote bloom growth. Make sure to dispose of the dead roses.
3. Keep things tidy and weed-free under rose bushes.
4. Water regularly.
5. Spray with insecticide/fungicide to keep plants healthy. Depending on the needs of the roses and the product instructions this should be done regularly. Right now, I am spraying with a neem-based treatment weekly.
6. Trim diseased leaves. The LaVille de Bruxelle was getting some not so good-looking leaves which I immediately trimmed and tossed. I have noticed this old rose requires a bit more in maintenance for health. We are looking good and healthy again and actually getting ready for a second round of blooms even though this is a single blooming rose!

The sight of our roses these days makes me thankful for the winter care put into them. And honestly, caring for roses is therapeutic and calming- a definite bonus for this hobby. Enjoy your roses!

Have a beautiful day!