Growing Roses : Some growing tips

Roses require special care to ensure they grow to their maximum potential

Roses like rich soil with plenty of organic matter and plenty of sunshine. Roses produce flowers in early summer and once those flowers are pollinated, they form hips which contain the seeds of new plants. Unless you’re growing your rose plant for decorative hips, or you have an Old Garden Rose or Rambling Rose, it’s advisable to remove the fading flowers before the hips can form or “deadhead” the plant. After all, you don’t want it spending all its energy on making seeds. If you deadhead the roses, the plant will produce more flowers.

If suckers emerge around the rose, twist them off. Suckers are easy to recognise – they are normally lighter green in colour with thorny stems and seven leaflets. If you don’t remove them, they will drain the food supply and starve the rose. For this you will need a pair of strong gardening gloves, as they are very prickly. You don’t get suckers with miniature roses or with some modern varieties.

Don’t be too afraid to prune your roses, they will flower much better if you do. Do a good general prune in spring. Wear a good strong pair of gardening gloves, maybe even hire gardening tools, such as sharp secateurs to cut away any weak or dead wood and cut the plant into the shape you want. Some of the cuttings you can give away to your neighbours or plant in a pot for yourself. Ensure any diseased wood goes into the rubbish, not in the compost heap.

Mulch your roses regularly and give them organic feeds like bonemeal – this will protect them against those all too common diseases. Don’t let them dry out in the very hot weather. Banana skins are supposed to provide valuable nutrients and used tea bags are also very good – but break them up first to release the organic matter. Just think, you are helping the environment with your recycling and feeding your roses at the same time.

Miniature roses make lovely house plants. They too love lots of sun and plenty of nourishment. The only difference is they are not totally hardy, so protect them indoors or in a greenhouse when it’s very cold. But they like lots of light and will benefit from being outside on the patio in the summer. Miniature roses are propagated by cuttings – your houseplant is probably just several cuttings in one pot.

Although growing roses can be quite tough, if you look after your roses and they will keep you happy for many years to come.