Rose Garden Care Tips Simplified

Bon Jovi would have loved to lay you down on a bed of roses, but for sure they wouldn't have loved to grow that bed of roses themselves. Beautiful as they are, roses have been known to be very sensitive and hard-to-care-for plants. Most of the people who have attempted to grow rose gardens in their own backyards put valuable time and effort into it only to find out after several months that all of these have been put to waste. A winter frost, too much sunlight, or insufficient fertilizing could just easily kill these high-maintenance plants. What's even more frustrating is when seemingly healthy rose plants fail to produce beautiful blooms as expected.

Not to worry though because as with all things, there are always ways to get around these problems. But first, know that while some varieties may require extra care and maintenance, roses are generally easy to grow given that conditions conducive to its growth are met. Ordinary rose garden owners have found the following tips to be very helpful and through it have become expert growers faster than a bouquet of roses could melt a woman's heart.

TIP # 1: Roses need a lot of water. It is best to water roses thoroughly at least twice a week giving them at least an equivalent of 1 inch of rainfall per week. This should be done preferably in the morning as late-evening watering could incubate the growth of powdery mildew,  a common disease among roses. If you live in warmer regions, increase the number of watering per week accordingly.

Roses also grow best with good drainage, which could be achieved by improving the soil through soil amendments and by mixing peat moss into it.

TIP # 2: Roses require adequate space. Bushes planted closely together can foster the growth of mildew, aphids and other diseases. It also disenables them to breathe effectively. Follow the suggested spacing for the particular variety you bought as written in the label.

TIP # 3: Roses love the sun. They actually need six to eight hours of exposure to sunlight each day in the same way that people need six to eight hours of sleep. Morning sun is preferred to afternoon sun as the former is less violent and harsh.

TIP # 4: Roses grow better with regular fertilizer use. Roses require many nutrients and using fertilizers would meet this need. It should preferably be applied after the plant's first cycle of blooms have appeared or every three weeks when the roses are already actively blooming. Remember to stop fertilizing roses in early autumn or at least a month prior to your state's regular frost date. Failing to do so would encourage new growth among your roses that will get easily nipped by the cold. Fertilizers are available from agricultural supplies shop, garden stores, and even large supermarkets. Those who would like to minimize their costs could use animal manure, wood chips, pine needles, grass clippings, and other biodegradable materials as cheap alternatives.

Ensuring a certain soil pH level also improves the availability to the necessary nutrients in the soil. Soil maintained within the 6.5 to 6.8 pH range would improve the plant's growth. To adjust the pH, add limestones to the soil to increase the alkaline level (to make it closer to 6.8) or mix in leaf compost or sulfur to raise acidity (to make it closer to 6.5).

TIP # 5: Roses should be planted with care. The soil should be ready before planting by tilling it to about two-feet deep. The base of the rose stem could then be planted at about one or two inches below the ground through a hole that has been accordingly dug. To avoid crowding and restricting the roots, the hole should be spacious enough. Roses should be planted either during dormancy, at the beginning of spring, or late in the fall.

TIP # 6: Roses should be pruned during dormancy. Pruning essentially promotes new blooms and growth. It's best to do it in winter or in early spring when the roses are just beginning to show signs of new growth like the appearance of tiny red buds. Use sharp hand shears to remove unhealthy, dead, and crisscrossing branches.

Finally, a rose plant without beautiful blooms is quite useless to say the least. For better blooms, apply ¼ cup of Epsom salts around the base of the plant. Let the salts seep through the soil by gently watering it in.