Favorite Rose Gardening Tip

Rose gardeners just love a new and helpful rose gardening tip.

Growing beautiful roses is such an addictive hobby that many gardeners are anxious to find out all that they can about the subject. Here are a few favourites:

• Prune when the Forsythia blooms. Most roses should be pruned in early spring. The blooming of forsythia is a great reminder that it's time to get out and trim those bushes.
• Give them phosphorous. Roses are heavy feeders. And the food they'll really thrive on is one that contains a good dose of phosphorous. When you look at the numbers on your plant food, the phosphorous level is indicated by the middle number.

Garlic

• A really cool rose gardening tip is that roses love garlic. Planting garlic near your rose bushes protect your rose bushes by controlling greenfly.
  
  Any member of the onion family is also a good companion plant for rose gardens, as are marigolds and thyme.
• Don't mulch with wood chips. Roses love mulch, especially over a cold winter. However, wood chips require nitrogen to decompose. They will actually rob your rose bushes of nutrients.
• Soak before planting. New rose bushes will get the best start if they're soaked in a bucket of water for about 24 hours before you plant them. Not only will this ensure that your roots are well hydrated, but it prepares the plant for the big change its about to undergo.
• Roses need deep roots. Most gardeners are aware that roses need ample water to survive and bloom. What many people don't realize, however, is that watering your roses too frequently prevents them from developing deep roots.
  
  A deep root system can help your rose survive during drought conditions, and will make it healthier overall. So, water your roses deeply 2-3 times a week rather than giving them a shallow watering more often.
• Deadheading is crucial. If your rose bush is a repeat bloomer, deadheading is the best way to ensure that you'll get the most blooms in a season. Get out there at least once a week and remove spent blooms.



Deadheading Required!

• Some roses are just easier than others. Do some research before you buy your rose bushes. There are some varieties that are simply more disease resistant than others - and the best choices vary by region. You'll make your rose gardening much simpler if you start with plants that grow well in your area and are not subject to disease.
  
  Visit our page on Organic Rose Gardening for great tips on controlling pests and diseases organically.

Hopefully you find a favourite rose gardening tip from those above that will make your rose gardening experience more enjoyable and more successful. Rose gardening is an art, and you'll learn more each and every year. Before you know it, you'll have a whole list of your own tips - do come and share with us please!