Caring for Your Roses
Taking proper care of your roses can seem like a very taxing, and time
consuming thing to do, but the results of such care far more than make
up for it.
Unfortunately, roses are the most difficult flower to manage and keep
healthy; however, all good things require high maintenance.
There are many small things that have to be done to keep your roses
looking their best, but all of those small things add up to one very
large one. Here are some great tips for the regular upkeep of your
roses.
1. You should prune your roses in the early spring. Or at least once
the others start budding because the buds will eventually become new
branches later.
2. You should cut the dead and damaged branches first. Next, you should
cut all but five of the leftover healthy branches. They should end up
at about the thickness of a pencil.
3. Cut the bushes by approximately one third or one half, depending on
how tall you want them. Cutting above the outward facing buds, Which is
the buds that is on the outside of the rose bush because this will help
the bud to grow upward; which will make the center of the bud open up
for better air circulation and shape.
4. You should always sharpen your hand shears before pruning, and prune
the climbing roses with caution. The branches have a tendency to
overlap and you wouldn't want to prune the wrong branches.
5. Mulching is necessary because it helps to keep your maintenance down
a bit. Mulching requires your roses to need a lot less watering,
weeding and helps prevent diseases. The best mulches are organic ones
like wood chips, pine needles, and grass clippings.
6. Protect your roses during the winter months by adding a few extra
inches of soil to the base of your roses. This should provide the extra
needed heat in the winter.
7. You should avoid the white plastic cones when doing your winter
protection because they trap too much heat during the winter thaw. They
are also quite unattractive.
8. You should feed your roses water often, but lightly. When you water
your roses, avoid directly watering the foliage because it will cause
fungal diseases. You should water the roses at the roots.
9. Keep the area around your roses cleared to prevent them from getting
locked in an area that doesn't provide enough circulation.
