Florists

What month is good to start caring for my roses again?

I have about 10-12 large rose bushes and about 3-4 (possibly more) mini roses and there is a PRS(Portland Rose Society) Rose show coming up and I wasn't able to enter last year so I want to know what month would be best to start caring for them to get the best out of them. Also if its possible, are there any greener rose foods, pest killers, etc. that won't harm the earth or my roses? I appreciate any help I can get. Thanks!

Public Comments

1. If they are growing outside. Now is a good time. If you don't get a rain or snow melt once every two weeks, put about 1/2 gallon water on each plant so that the roots will grow during the winter. That will give you a good start in the spring.
2. For great blooms a handful or two of Blood meal every month during the spring and the growing season around the base of each plant. Roses also like Epson Salt sprinkled around them as well as Evergreens.
3. Now is an ideal time to start, before the main spring growth spurt. You can source and collect your products, and then prune them. Pruning is the best tool for production of great roses, as it really introduces vigour to them, focusing their energy into the shoots that you can get blooms with maximum quality, rather than lots of weaker growth and smaller, poorer flowers. Destroy any prunings that may be infected with anything, as this would transfer to the new growth. Likewise, collect fallen leaves from around your plants, as these can harbor spores etc. For good growth, i would mulch with well rotted manure, which will keep the roots moister, and release nutrients. Ensure there are no competing weeds too. You can keep pests at bay with environmentally safer products. Aphids and fungal problems are the most wide-spread issues. Aphids can be killed with insecticidal soap, sprayed on. Black spot and rust prevention is best started early too, and you can use diluted baking soda to help with this and mildew, or other treatments. Foliage and bloom quality will all affect your show results, so attending to foliage is important. Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob
4. Now is the time to prune roses. Prune not only to give shape, but pruning encourages the new shoots and all energy spent growing will go into the new shoots and produce better roses. A good fertilizer with a high phosphorous rate will also encourage better blooms.