17 Rose Growing Tips and Tricks

Welcome to Luxerosa’s Forever Rose Blog. We are one of UK’s leading retailers of preserved Forever Roses or Eternity Roses. But, we also have a keen interest in helping rose lovers in the UK or anywhere else in the world for that matter grow their roses better. In the past month, we wrote educational posts about what type of rose to grow in the UK. And, here’s a popular post on how, when and where to grow roses, a UK guide edition.

This post is to give you neat little tricks and tips that will help you get the most out of your rose garden. So, let’s get started.

1. Sharpen those pruning shears – The last thing you want to do when pruning your rose shrubs is to use a dull pair of shears that crush instead of cutting your rose stems. Bypass pruners are best for pruning roses. Ideally, you want to use these shears just for your rose plants, using another pair for the rest of your plants in the garden. That way, you can make a nice clean cut when pruning, every single time
2. Garlic is a friend of your Rose plant! – Garlic and roses might not sound like they go together. But, growing garlic around your rose plants can help protect your roses against many insects. Garlic plants have been known to fend off aphids, caterpillars and even snails, all of which otherwise love munching on your precious rose plants
3. Prune to promote better air flow – Blocked or less than optimal air circulation is the number one cause of disease in rose plants. But, it is also an easily avoidable problem. The key is to prune in such a way that the center of the rose plant is nicely aerated. Too many people make the mistake of only pruning the outer edges of rose plants, leaving the center crowded
4. Rambling roses are great for vertical structures – Does your garden have walls or tall hedges? You can get roses to adorn such tall structures as well. Rambling roses or climbing roses can be a great choice here
5. Seal pruning cuts – This is a little known trick, but one that can be a life saver. If your rose plant is prone to disease or decay, especially after pruning, you might want to consider sealing your prune cuts. All it takes is some white glue or even your nail polish for that matter. A little goes a long way. It is best applied immediately after a cut is made
6. Join your local rose grower’s community – Trust us when we say that your local community definitely has a rose growing club. Find them out and join them. Besides getting very valuable tips about how to grow your roses, you will also find people who love growing roses as much as you do. They are particularly helpful because passionate rose growers would have figured out problems that are unique to your local area, giving you solutions you can apply easily
7. Cinnamon for better roots – Yes, you read that right! Take about a spoonful of cinnamon powder and roll slightly dampened rose stems before planting these stems. Cinnamon both promotes longer root growth while also keeping fungus and other root diseases away
8. Take your rose blooms during summer – It might be very tempting to cut your rose bloom every time they gloriously yield. But, if you can manage to wait until summer to crop your rose yield, you will be well rewarded with healthy future blooms. If your roses are the continuous blooming variety, you can maybe cut them twice a year, once during spring and once during summer
9. Water your roses early in the day – A busy work day only lets you water your rose plants in the evening? It could cost you, dearly! Roses don’t do well when water stagnates, especially on the leaves and bloom. But, by simply watering your rose plants in the morning, you let the sun take care of this stagnation problem that can otherwise cause unsightly diseases that can even kill your precious rose plants. If you have to water your rose plants in the evening, take care not to get water on the bloom or leaves and water close to the root
10. Trim plants around your rose bushes too – You probably take extra care of your rose bushes. But, it is important to keep neighbouring patches trimmed as well. This will allow for better overall air circulation quality that is a key factor to help you grow beautiful roses
11. Choose a hardy rose type if you are repeatedly unsuccessful – Can’t grow roses to save your life? Maybe it isn’t how you are growing them but rather what you are growing. It might be time to not choose a rose for its looks but rather for its hardiness. Some roses like wild roses or antique roses simply grow better, even in difficult or cold conditions, with less care. By simply choosing a different variety, you could finally start enjoying the roses you have always dreamt of
12. Avoid synthetic fertilizers – When it comes to rose plants, it always makes sense to spend a little extra for organic fertilizers. It will be well worth it. Synthetic fertilizers, while very affordable, tend to have more salts than natural fertilizer, potentially harming your rose plants
13. Mulch around your rose plant – Rose plants love mulch. First, clear the soil of old leaves or weeds and other debris. Then, apply about a 3 cm layer of mulch around the base of your rose plants. Spread out this mulch layer to as far out as the edges of the rose plant’s canopy. Any good garden compost will do as mulch. But, there are some rose-specific mulch brands available as well, if you don’t mind paying the extra cost. If you are using manure, make sure the manure is at least a couple of years old as fresh manure is too harsh on the roots of your rose plants, especially if they are freshly planted
14. Fertilize after blooms – Roses are best fertilized right after they fully bloom. It is also important that you last fertilize them about 8 weeks before first frost. Both fertilizing tips are quite important
15. Stagger rose plants in small places – Don’t have a large patch of garden for your roses? You can still make your rose patch look voluminous by planting your roses in a staggered fashion as opposed to in a standard row. But, be sure not to crowd the plants too close to each other as good air circulation is critical to growing beautiful and healthy rose plants
16. Want fragrance? Choose the right variety – Most people are only interested in the sights of a beautiful rose yield. But, if fragrance is equally important to you, you must choose a rose variety that is known for its fragrant qualities. “The Generous Gardener”, “Boscobel”, “Munstead Wood” and “Lady Emma Hamilton” are some of the most fragrant rose varieties in the UK
17. Redirect buds to grow away from you rose plants – Take some time every now and then to make sure that new rose buds are growing out and away from the rose plant. Rose buds that grow into the plant or into crowded spaces will not do as well as buds that grow away from the plant