Taking good care of your roses will ensure that you have a strong and healthy plant year-round. Spring rose care doesn’t have to be a difficult chore; just a few small steps and you’ll have blooming beauties all season.
Taking good care of your roses will ensure that you have a strong and healthy plant year-round. Spring rose care doesn’t have to be a difficult chore; just a few small steps and you’ll have blooming beauties all season.
Caring for roses can seem intimidating, but the fact is sometimes you just have to get in there and do some regular maintenance to ensure a healthy rose bush. Learn what you need to do for spring rose care.
Remove winter rose protection
If you used a rose cone or piled up mulch or soil around the base of the rose bush to protect it from cold snaps, make sure to remove your winter protection before starting any spring maintenance.
Prune roses
While this slightly varies by types of roses, spring is usually the best time to prune back old growth. Pruning your roses before new growth occurs allows the plant to more efficiently use its energy for new stems and leaves. Just be sure to not over-prune the plant. Avoid pruning more than 1/3 of the plant at a time.
Not sure what to do? See our tips on pruning roses.
Feeding roses
Early spring rose care includes fertilizing the plant to stimulate new growth. You can visit your local gardening center for recommendations on the best types of fertilizers for your planting zone, but in general you can use an all-purpose rose fertilizer that comes in both granular and water-soluble forms. Follow the manufacture’s directions and make note of the suggested use and timeline listed. There are also multi-step rose fertilizers available.
Rose disease prevention
Roses can be prone to fungus diseases and spraying a dose of lime sulphur during your spring rose care routine will help keep potential problems at bay. Lime sulphur helps kill spores of mildew and blackspot. Adding horticultural oil can help combat a greater variety of pests.
Just a few basic steps during spring rose care will help get your plants off to a great growing season.
Leave a Comment