How to care for rose bushes?

I am new to gardening, and I'm excited for spring to roll around, for the snow to melt, and to get my hands in the dirt again.



We moved about a year and a half ago, and the person who owned the house before was obviously an amazing gardener, and I'm loving cultivating what she started. However, she has several beautiful rose bushes in the back yard, of many different varieties, and I want to make sure I'm taking care of them the right way. What are the basics of tending roses?



*I'm in Minnesota by the way, so any tips need to be in line with a VERY short summer/growing season.

How to care for rose bushes?
Before budding each year, trim the rose back so that it grows bushy. I like to trim mine back to 2 to 3 feet tall each year. If it is a trellis rose, make sure new branches are tied to the trellis and each branch has its own space so it doesn't get choked.

Prune first thing in spring before leaf growth but after the buds start to swell up so you know where new growth will occur. Don't forget to get rid of ALL dead wood.



Fertilize with an all purpose fertilizer if you like or if you have the time, dig in compost around the base of the rose. To prevent slugs and snails, a thick layer of egg shells around the base of the rose is good and it will decompose for extra calcium which will help the roots and prevention of disease. Simple dish liquid spray can take care of aphids as was already mentioned. Another spray that is effective is compost tea. This is good for organic gardening. If you don't have the time, then Miracle gro may be an answer for you. Make your first feeding in early spring as soon as the ground has stopped freezing and the buds begin to swell. Get the food right down into the dirt, you may have to push away the mulch. If you have used straw, take the straw away to the compost pile. Immediately after the first bloom do another feeding. The last feeding should take place in late summer as the plant is getting ready to shut down for winter but it is not yet too cold.



Keeping roses deadheaded as mentioned is a necessity. The more deadheading you do, the more energy the roses can put into producing new blooms.



One thing to think about in Minnesota is protecting the plant during winter. A thick mulch of compost or straw up to at least 6 inches will protect roses from the bitter cold/thaw cycles that will break tender root structures by regulating the temperature of the ground.



Common diseases are Black Spot and Mildew, these are fungal diseases. The easiest way to prevent the spread of these is to take away fallen flowers and leaves immediately and don't spray the plant surface with water, if you water, water around the bottom of the plant and don't let the dirt splash up on the leaves. A drip system is easiest and most economical.



A trick I learned to help the health of roses is to plant small rosemary plants here and there in the rose garden. This attracts two kinds of hymenoptera(bees and wasps), those who will gladly use the rose flowers, and those who will dine on insects which want to chew on your precious roses. You may notice some bees which are very small and seem to want to hover in your face. These are not bees, they are a type of hoverfly and will dine on aphids that attack your plants!



Good luck in your beautiful new garden!
Reply:Sorcy ..has a wonderful answer to your question, I would also like to add one more thing, that has helped my roses flourish, after eating a banana, take the peel and lay it at the base of your roses cover litely with dirt. The potassium is great for them, And dont be afraid to trim your roses back every few years. I have trimmed my roses back to 4 inches tall before and they always come back beautifully!!
Reply:we just moved from VA (lots of humidity) to CO (no humidity). I went to lowes, and the lady in the lawn and garden department was great!!! i would really try there, she suggested a book that was written by a guy that lives inthis area, so all the info is taylored around growning in high elevation, and no moisture in the air.



I took care of a nice rosebush, i actually transplanted it 2 times and now it is growing here!!! i just know to make sure you keep the bush nice and tight with a cage or something. to make sure the branches dont grow weird and out. and trim back the bloomed flowers after they have died.
Reply:roses like to be fed, mostly horse manure if you can't face this go and ask at your garden centre for rose food, you can add it to their water or spread it in pellets, dead rose heads should be snipped off, this year I am going to try growing some from the seed in the rose hips wish me luck

oh and if you get those pesky little aphids squirt them with diluted washing up liquid