Tips To Grow Happy Healthy Roses

Spring is here next month and if you love roses now’s a good time to start thinking about planting them. Roses are a very popular flower that is often associated with love and romance, they’re also a great choice for beautifying your garden.

Roses are relatively easy to grow here in NZ and with a little care and attention will reward you with beautiful blooms to cut or just admire in the garden

Jen from the Happy Diy Home has shared her tips to help you grow happy, healthy, roses.

NEW ZEALAND SEASONS

SUMMER: DEC, JAN, FEB | AUTUMN: MAR, APR, MAY

WINTER: JUN, JUL, AUG | SPRING: SEP, OCT, NOV

Plant in the Spring

When you decide to plant a rose, you may opt to do it when the plant is already in bloom. The benefit of planting roses in the spring is that you’ll get an instant burst of colour.

Many people love planting rose bushes that are already in bloom so they can enjoy the beauty of the rose sooner. However, this can make it more difficult for the roses to adapt to their new environment and yield a decent amount of growth.

Plus, you should be aware that planting roses in Spring means they will have to deal with the upcoming summer heat sooner rather than later.

Get a Jump Start

You can get a jump on planting roses. A lot of nurseries receive their stock of roses around July/August.

When you plant your roses early (after the last frost), you will give your little rose bushes the chance to produce roots into the soil. As a result, they will have the opportunity to get nice and settled in their new home by the time they begin to bloom.

Giving your roses the chance to establish roots while the weather is mild makes them better equipped to handle the blazing summer heat when it arrives.

Wait Until Autumn

Another option is to plant them in the autumn. If you wait until the autumn, make sure you plant the roses about six weeks prior to the first frost in your area. Doing this will give the roots more than enough time to delve into the soil before your plant goes dormant over the winter.

Purchase Roses in Containers

If you require more flexibility in planting time then purchase roses in containers. Container roses are hardier than bare-root roses. You can plant them quite a bit later. You’ll still get good results, but you’ll get even better results if you start with earlier planting.

Doing so gives your rose bushes the chance to make good root growth and start to become established before they begin to bloom. Plus, they will get a chance to get settled in before the strong heat of summer arrives.

Heat and blooming put stress on the plants and make it more difficult for them to get established. Giving them that extra time to make good root growth before high temps and blooming occur positions them to be healthier.

Opt for Bare-root Roses

Bare-root roses are a great option since they are normally available only in the early part of spring. These are the roses you see in boxes. They’re typically shipped via mail order.

The best time to plant them is while they’re still dormant (before the shoots begin to grow off of the rose plant’s main branch). It’s better for the vitality of the plant if it’s in the ground before it starts to put energy into growing new stems and leaves.

Avoid buying bare-root roses if they have already begun to sprout in the package. As soon as you get your bare-root roses home you should plant them to avoid them sprouting before you have them in the ground.

You can also root rose in potatoes, find out how here.

Wait for Favourable Weather

Avoid planting your roses during extreme weather conditions such as during a drought. Also, do not plant them when the ground is water-logged.

Don’t try to work soil that’s too frozen or sopping wet and muddy from spring rains. Wait until the soil has dried if it is muddy. Doing so will allow for proper planting.

Let the Frost Pass

When it comes to planting roses it’s all about timing. To ensure that you’ll have lots of gorgeous blooms all summer, wait until the danger of frost has passed.

The soil needs to be warmed up so it’s easy to work with. When you’re in the clear feel free to start planting.

Let the Weather Warm Up

Wait until the temperatures are between 10-15 degrees before planting your roses. You want to give the plant a fighting chance to settle in and form strong roots before summer’s blazing heat arrives.

Opt for Quality

Purchase the highest-quality rose bushes that are available at your nursery. The investment of more money will be worth it.

Your chances of growing a healthy, vigorous plant that produces lots of roses will increase. Before buying the plant, look over the root system for signs of damage or dryness.

If you spot any, it’s a tell-tale sign that this plant is not the best quality and will never reach its full potential. You want to give your plants a chance to thrive.

Do this by picking rose plants that are resistant to common diseases. Check with your local nursery about which problems are most common for roses in your area.

Ask which varieties are best equipped to fight these problems. Without a high-quality rose bush to start with it won’t matter when you plant it. So don’t be cheap – get the best.

Get Familiar With Your Hardiness Zone

Know your hardiness zone to determine when the last frost date is. With this information, you will be able to plant your bare roots or rose plants according to the zone guideline.

This website explains the hardiness zones for New Zealand.

This website explains the hardiness zones for Australia.

This website explains the hardiness zones for America.

Get the Spot Right

Once you have your zone figured out, you can move on to selecting the best spot for your rose. To ensure that it will be happy and healthy give it the best conditions to allow it to thrive. Give it full sun, rich soil, compost, and plenty of air circulation.

Remember that the best time to plant roses has a lot to do with following your area’s hardiness zone guidelines. Plant your roses after the last frost date. Planting your rose at the right time and providing it with excellent care will have you impressing all your neighbours in no time.

Always Fertilise

The best soil for roses is rich soil, adding compost and manures such as sheep pallets with help the roses to flower. There are also organic rose fertilisers available at garden centres that contain nitrogen for vigorous growth, phosphorus for beautiful blooms and potassium for healthy plant stock.

Another good fertiliser option is worm tea or seaweed tea.

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