Care for your roses in summers

When summer season is at its full swing, it becomes even more difficult to take care of summer flowers, particularly roses, as there are some additional tasks that need to be performed in the heat. Roses have an undeserved reputation for being fussy, hard-to-care-for plants. But after all, they're just shrubs. Some roses do require more maintenance than others. Remember that roses mostly grow well in warm weather but they still need your help to sustain their survival.

Summer season will soon be at its peak, we therefore thought about gathering some tips for rose care in summer. Here is a collection of tips on taking care of roses in summers:

1) Prune roses in early spring once the rose starts to show signs of new growth, usually in the form of tiny red buds swelling. These buds will become new branches.

2) Roses will need to be watered during hot and dry weather but remember that amount of water will always depend on soil conditions and weather. It is mostly recommended to soak the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches every two weeks. Also water them diligently. Water should be applied directly to soil because over-head watering makes the foliage wet and leads to diseases in your plants. If you cannot avoid over-head watering, then the best time to water roses is morning so that foliage may get time to dry.

3) Deadhead. This simply means trimming spent roses off the shrub to encourage it to produce more. Roses stems should be cut back to ¼ inch above a leaf with five leaflets.

4) Another thing that you can do to conserve soil moisture is to add mulch around rose plant. Mulching also helps controlling weeds. So spread a fresh 3-inch layer of mulch on soil 6 inches away from rose’s main cane. Best mulches include shredded bark, cocoa bean hulls, wood chips and pine needles.

5) Vigorous growth and abundance of blooms depend on proper fertilizing. Roses need to be fertilized three times a year. For the first time, fertilizer should be applied in early spring after pruning. Fertilizer should be then applied during first blooming period and for the third time in year, roses should be fertilized in mid or late July.. Another important thing is to add is that roses should not be fertilized on days when temperature exceeds over 29⁰C. Don’t forget to water roses before and after applying fertilizers.

6) Roses should also be checked for summer diseases and pests like thrips, Japanese beetles and spider mites. Beetles and spider mites can be controlled with insecticides. You must plan a spray program through the summer months to control diseases and pests. It is suggested to use a combination of insecticides and fungicide, easily available at nurseries.

7) Regular cultivation promotes healthy roses. Loosen soil frequently to aerate, keep down weeds and provide better utilization of the ground moisture.

While roses require more care and maintenance than many annuals and perennials, the results can be strikingly beautiful. We hope you enjoy a rosy summer ahead!