THE
BASICS OF ROSE CARE A magnificent garden full of roses is easy to achieve, even if new to gardening or not particularly green fingered. English Roses are straightforward to grow, care for and maintain. Let us take you through the basics of rose care to help you get the best out of your blooms, ensuring your roses will bring you pleasure for years to come.
A G R E AT S T A R T The best thing you can do to get your rose off to a great start is to select the right rose for the right location. Whether you are looking to grow a climber up the front of a house or to put a shrub in a mixed border, use the handy symbols on our website to help guide your choice. Roses are generally very robust and tolerant but every plant needs a good amount of sunlight, ideally at least 4 hours a day, and enough space to grow to its mature size. Feeding, mulching, deadheading and pruning your rose will then help it thrive in its location. Planting a rose is easy to do and requires no expert knowledge. For detailed instructions on growing a rose in a pot turn to p.68. If you are planting a bare root rose you will need to soak its roots in a bucket of water for at least a couple of hours prior to planting, or ideally overnight. Whether you are planting a potted rose or a bare root rose, start by digging over the ground with a garden fork to loosen the soil, removing any large stones or weeds as you go. Next, dig a hole with a spade, about 40cm wide and 40cm deep, adding a spadeful of Carr’s Special Organic Soil Improver, or garden compost to the bottom of the hole. Remove your rose from its pot or the bucket where it is soaking, and sprinkle David Austin Mycorrhizal Fungi over the roots. This will encourage root growth and water uptake. Position your rose in the hole so that the point where the stems meet the roots sits about 5cm below the top of the hole. Backfill gradually around the roots of the rose, using a mix of soil improver or compost and soil. About a 50/50 mix will work well, using it to fill right up to the top of the hole. Once done, lightly firm in with your foot by pressing down gently around the base of the rose to secure it in place. Water it generously with a full watering can, aiming the water at the base of the rose rather than on the leaves. Your rose should settle happily into its new home.
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RO S E C A R E A D V I C E O N L I N E AT
SPRING Take the opportunity to plan ahead and get your garden ready for summer, by planting bare root roses in the ground before the end of their season. Planting up until the start of April will still allow plenty of time for these dormant plants to establish, ready to flourish into bloom come summer. As the bare root season ends, and April starts, it is time to give your roses their first feed and mulch of the year, a quick and easy job. The spring feed is really important as it sets your roses up with the essential nutrients they need for the flowering season ahead. Feeding your roses is vital to promote healthy growth and encourage plentiful blooms. The right care and attention now will be worth every moment when you see the spectacular show put on by your roses in the coming months.
davidaustinroses.co.uk
