Roses are popular but quite demanding garden plants. A wonderfully blooming rose bush is a wonderful eye-catcher, but you should take good care of it - only then will you be able to enjoy the beautiful flowering plant for a long time. By the way, how to properly care for it depends primarily on the type and variety of rose. Detailed instructions for optimal rose care can be found in the following article.

Roses are easier to care for than you think

What is the best way to water roses?

Roses should only be watered if they are dry for a long time. However, this should be done in such a way that the leaves do not get wet. Rose petals that are wet for a long time are often attacked by black spot, but also by rose rust. From September you should stop watering roses so that the shoots become woody and frost-hardy.

How should you fertilize roses?

Roses are one of the most consuming plants, which is why fertilization and thus the regular supply of nutrients is essential. The first fertilization takes place in March, when you spread about one or two fingers of compost or other humus substances between the roses and work them flat into the soil. At the same time, provide the plant with an organic complete fertilizer, for example a good rose fertilizer. (€12.86) Fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, such as blue grain, are not very suitable for roses, as they stimulate growth but suppress flowering. Finally, in June, the spring fertilization is repeated, unless you have used a slow-release fertilizer in the first place.

Does mulching make sense for roses?

Mulching, in which a layer of grass clippings about ten centimeters thick is spread between the roses, has proven particularly effective in dry regions. This means that there is no need to loosen the soil, the soil under the mulch layer remains well moist and you save yourself watering all too often. However, if you mulch with bark mulch, you should also add nitrogen in organic or mineral form. This should cover the needs of the soil organisms, which would otherwise pull it out of the soil. As a result, the roses suffer from nitrogen deprivation.

When and how should you prune roses?

Most roses are cut back when the forsythia is in bloom, around late March to early April. Remove all thin and frozen shoots completely, while the remaining ones are reduced to about three to four eyes - this corresponds to a length of about 20 centimeters. In the case of vigorously growing varieties, a few more buds can also be left. In general, at least half of the length of the shoot is cut off, but be careful: The amount of pruning and whether pruning is allowed at all (some rose varieties are only pruned!) varies depending on the variety.

The harder the pruning, the stronger the new growth

The same rule of thumb applies to roses as to fruit trees: the harder the pruning, the stronger the new growth. From the few remaining buds only a few, but particularly long and strong shoots emerge. On the other hand, a weak pruning, in which many eyes remain, also only results in a weak shoot: numerous but only short shoots emerge. As a result, Hybrid Tea roses that are supposed to develop particularly long shoots should be cut back vigorously; Bed roses, on the other hand, are weaker so that the bushes do not grow too tall.

Cut bed roses

With bed roses it is usually sufficient if all weak and dry shoots are removed and the remaining ones are only shortened by about a quarter to a third of their length. If they bare in the lower parts over the years and stop blooming, they will be strongly rejuvenated, i. H. cut back to the old wood.

Cut shrub and wild roses

Shrub roses and wild roses that grow like bushes are only thinned out, i. H. They remove dry and very thin shoots as well as those that are too close together. The natural form of the bush should be preserved, because then the bushes will only be all the more beautiful. Only in the case of shrub rose varieties with very long, one-year-old shoots are these shortened by half. The withered parts of wild roses do not need to be removed, as these species develop rose hips. However, this work must not be overlooked in the case of shrub roses and climbing roses that bloom several times, as otherwise the fruit will set and the second bloom will only be very weak.

Pruning climbing roses

Climbing roses are also only thinned out if possible. Only newly planted climbing roses are shortened by at least half. Older shoots, recognizable by the dark wood, are removed directly on the ground or, if strong young shoots have developed near the ground, they are put back on them. Older climbing roses can be cut back radically.

How to winterize roses

At the beginning of heavier frosts, i.e. from around mid-November, climbing and bed roses are piled up about 20 centimeters high. To do this, pull the soil from the rose bed to the individual sticks with a hoe or bring a third to half a bucket of compost soil to each plant. This is then covered with spruce branches. High standard roses and sensitive hybrid tea roses are packed well for the winter, preferably with jute or other breathable materials. Foil, on the other hand, is not very suitable.

tips

Standard roses can also be overwintered by laying down the crown in late autumn. To do this, carefully bend them to the ground and cover them with soil about 20 centimeters thick.

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Vegetable garden