How to have beautiful roses?

1. When and how to plant a rosebush

Before I tell you about my top rose care tips and tricks, it’s important to know how to plant roses. Here are some tips on planting roses:

When to plant a rose?

• Plant a rosebush in warm regions: If the climate allows it and if the ground does not freeze deeply, then the best time of the year to plant a young rosebush is in the fall. You can also plant your plants at the end of winter.
• Planting a rosebush in cold regions: If you live in a cold region where the ground freezes during the winter then it is better to wait until the beginning of spring to plant the roses.

Dig a hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the roots of the rosebush:

Depending on the size of the rose bush to be planted, a hole about 60 centimeters wide with a depth of 30 centimeters should suffice. Don’t forget to add the equivalent of about 5 centimeters of planting mix (special rose tree) to the bottom of the hole.

2. What type of soil to grow a rose?

To have beautiful, healthy and growing roses, it is important that the soil where the rose bush grows is able to retain good humidity.

Roses love rich, slightly acidic soil. Feel free to prepare the soil before planting by adding compost, manure or even leaf mold.

Watch out for clay soils!

Although roses are able to adapt to clay soil, it is important to drain the soil well to avoid accumulations of water at the base of the rose bush and the roots.

3. Mound the roses to protect them from the cold

A really effective trick to protect roses during the winter when the temperature is below -5 to -10 ºC is to mound them.

Hilling consists of making a mound (a sort of promontory) around the rosebush. The soil must completely cover the base of the rosebush over an area of ​​about 10 to 20 cm.

It’s an excellent gardening trick to have beautiful roses in the spring, when the heat returns.

In the spring, we remove the earth from the mounding and simply scatter it around the rosebush and elsewhere in the border, quite simply.

4. When to water roses?

The watering of the roses will of course depend on the type of soil, the temperature and the degree of sunshine of the shrubs.

• Watering for sandy soil: if the soil is very sandy then it is best to water your roses regularly and abundantly.
• Watering for other soil types: for other types of soil and soil, it is possible not to water at all. In fact, roses are able to tolerate 2 weeks of drought without any problem in this type of soil.

Nevertheless, watering every 10 or 12 days is sufficient and recommended to keep beautiful roses healthy and in bloom all summer long.

You can also install a drip irrigation system in the flower bed or garden. You will thus avoid splashing the stems and flowers with water and soil and therefore with mud.

5. What fertilizer for a beautiful rosebush

To have beautiful roses this summer, it is important to add fertilizer to the rose soil. But why use fertilizer for roses?

• To feed the plant through the roots.
• To help the growth of the rosebush.
• To promote abundant flowering.
• To balance the soil and protect the shrub.
• To prevent and avoid diseases and pests.

To have beautiful roses in health and with a beautiful flowering, it is preferable to use a fertilizer rich in Potassium.

6. Wood ash on the rose bushes

A tip for having beautiful roses naturally is to use wood ash!

Indeed, wood ash acts as a kind of natural fertilizer to help fight and ward off pests. Here’s how to use it on your plantation:

1. Mix wood ash with water in a bowl.
2. Pour the solution over the soil at the base of the rose bush.
3. Repeat 1 or 2 times during the season.

Other natural fertilizers for roses to try:

• Coffee grounds: you can also sprinkle coffee grounds at the base of the rosebush. Rich in nitrogen and phosphate it will help the growth of the plant.
• The cooking water: whether for a rosebush or other plants and shrubs, cooking water is also a good natural fertilizer. Don’t forget to allow the cooking water for your pasta or potatoes to cool before treating your roses.
• Banana peel: banana peel cut into small pieces and buried in the soil of the rosebush is an excellent source of potassium. It will help to have beautiful roses all summer long.

7. Prune the rose bush to have more flowers

To have a beautiful, healthy rosebush with lots of flowers for years to come, it is important to prune it well.

• For a remontant rosebush: Prune the branches in winter to about 1/3 or to 3 eyes if you prefer.
• For a non-remontant rosebush: Prune the three-eyed branches as well, but just after flowering.

Regardless of the variety of rosebush you have, it is also important to cut dead wood and remove faded flowers to have a healthy rosebush with beautiful blooms.

8. Plant other plants near the rose bushes

Did you know that certain plants and herbs can help protect your rose plants by repelling certain parasites and pests?

Here is a list of some rose-friendly plants:

• lavender
• Sage
• chives
• nasturtiums

If you had to make a choice, I recommend that you plant lavender and chives around your roses. These two plants will help keep aphids, small spider mites and other pests away from roses.

9. Aphids on roses

If you notice on the roses the presence of shoots and flower buds covered with small green insects, it is unfortunately aphids.

If the rose bush is strongly attacked by aphids, you will notice a deformation in the leaves, the buds and even the stems of the shrub.

How to treat a rose bush invaded by aphids?

1. The quick and natural way to remove aphids from roses is to spray the rose with a strong stream of water to begin with.
2. Also, you can spray an insecticidal soap on the rose bush, insisting on the shoots and buds where there are aphids.

You can also use insecticidal soap on roses if you have a problem with bed bugs, spider mites or sawfly caterpillars and larvae.

Recipe for insecticidal soap against aphids:

Black soap is the best natural product to use for treating roses that are overrun with aphids. Here’s how:

1. Dilute 6 tablespoons of liquid black soap in 1 liter of lukewarm water.
2. Mix well and allow the solution to cool.
3. Then spray the soap on the leaves and stems of the rosebush.
4. Repeat for a few days if necessary, until the aphids are completely gone.

To make this insecticidal and protective soap for your roses, you can find black soap here, on Amazon: