I want to tell you about my rose care system. Many people ask me how I maintain over 100 rose bushes in excellent condition and achieve such lush flowering. My scheme is simple and easy to use, but it requires regularity. The main principle is prevention.
My garden. May 2024 – Dukat rose
Pruning for Vitality: Spring rose care
Although in my region, roses don’t require shelter from the cold, for those in colder climates, a golden rule applies: remove winter protection when the outside temperature stabilizes at 50°F
However, beware of frost returns; if predicted, promptly cover the roses again to shield delicate stems and buds from potential damage.
When we open the roses, they need to be carefully examined for damage and disease. We need to remove damaged branches and diseased areas. I only trim my roses in the spring and fall. It is necessary to trim roses when the tallest bud has woken up and started to grow.
For detailed techniques, refer to our articles:
A Guide to Prune Climbing Roses for Breathtaking Blooms
Fungal Defense and Organic Feeding for Lush Blooms
Post-pruning, promptly apply a copper-based fungicide to prevent diseases and eliminate overwintered fungi, ensuring the rose’s vigor.
Following this treatment, enrich the soil around the roses with rotted manure or compost within a week. This step is pivotal, as organic fertilizers provide essential nutrition. This is the secret of lush flowering.
Please note that you should not put fresh manure under the roses; it can burn the roots of your beautiful flowers.
Pest Protection: Warding Off Unwelcome Visitors
Simultaneously, a biological insecticide should protect the roses from potential pests while fertilizing. Thoroughly spray insecticide on leaves, stems, and the ground surrounding the bush, to effectively deter harmful insects.
Spring heralds the arrival of aphids, posing a threat to tender rose shoots. Combat them effortlessly by repurposing coffee waste, a byproduct of my love for coffee. Scatter the coffee grounds around the rose bushes. The ants that deliver aphids to your roses cannot stand the smell of coffee and avoid my roses.
Subsequently, administer another round of biological fungicide after approximately a week.
If you don’t have time to treat your roses four times a month, you can use products that contain fungicides and insecticides simultaneously. Two preventive treatments together are then sufficient.
An excellent solution is ready-to-use mixtures that include insecticides and fungicides. I like blends that contain neem oil.
Bonide Captain Jack’s Neem Oil
Ready-to-Use Neem Oil is a multi-purpose fungicide, insecticide, and miticide for rose care.
Bonide Captain Jack Copper Fungicide
Copper Fungicide is effective in the control and prevention of rose diseases.
Nasticide Fungicide Made of Plant extracts, Natural Fungicide for Plants, Pesticide Concentrate Spray
This plant pesticide is a minimum toxic patented concentrate spray blend with essential oils.
Please don’t use only one fungicide throughout the season; the funges adapt very quickly, and the fungicide can weaken its effect, so change the fungicides every time. For example, treat once with a copper fungicide and the second time with a system fungicide.
Nourishing Roses with Precision
Following a structured schedule, treat the roses twice a month with fungicide and twice a month with insecticide and feed them once a month. For optimal nourishment, adopt a fertilizer regimen tailored to the roses’ needs. Early spring calls for nitrogen-rich fertilizers like rotted manure, and roses need magnesium and phosphorus during budding. In the second half of summer, roses need potassium to ripen the stems.
You can choose a system fertilizer. Or, if you support the organic approach, use products you can make yourself.
I have compiled some effective organic fertilizer recipes for you in this book.
The Organic Rose Revolution: Grow Stunning Blooms, Naturally
- Unlock the secrets of nurturing your roses organically with our guidance on soil health, natural fertilizers, and sustainable pest control methods. Your garden will thrive with eco-friendly care that respects nature’s balance.
- Empower yourself with the knowledge to craft natural remedies for common rose ailments.
- Banish pests from your garden precisely using proven strategies that safeguard your roses without harsh chemicals. Keep aphids, mites, and other invaders at bay while preserving your garden’s natural harmony.
- Explore a world of breathtaking rose varieties carefully curated to captivate your senses and elevate your garden to new heights of beauty.
As emphasized earlier, prevention and vigilance are paramount in rose care. By proactively tending to your roses, you’ll reap the rewards of their gratitude through magnificent blooms. If you regularly treat your roses preventatively against diseases and insects and feed them on time, they will most likely only delight you and bloom magnificently. Roses are very grateful creatures; they always respond to your care.
