Roses are one of the most commonly sought out flowers for their beauty, scent and overall abundance. If you are thinking of starting a rose garden or if you already have one of your own and are looking for a few extra tips on how to make rose plants flower more, you are in the right place. Perry Homes has compiled a list of recommendations that will aid in making your roses bloom in quantity so you can either keep them for yourself or share them with others. Follow these 15 tips, from feeding to pruning, to make your rose garden really blossoms.
1. Banana Peels
Due to the fact that bananas contain phosphorus, using banana peels in your rose garden will help with blooming. You can chop up some banana peels and bury them beneath the rose’s leaves but away from the stem. Another way to use banana peels is to pulverize them into a blender, add water if needed and allow it to sit for approximately 15 minutes. After the solution has been left to sit, you can apply it directly to the soil beneath a rose.
2. Alfalfa
Using alfalfa in your rose garden is a great way to provide an extra dose of nutrition. You can choose between alfalfa meal or pellets and add them directly into the soil using either 1 cup for each large rose bush or ½ cup for smaller bushes. Another option is to brew some alfalfa tea by soaking the meal or pellets in water and adding it to the soil.
3. Feed Flowers
At least three fertilizer applications is needed for roses that bloom throughout the growing season. The first application should be done when the plants break out of winter, then two more in mid-June and July to keep the flowers growing. Use a balanced fertilizer and other mulches, such as compost or rotted manure, to help roses get additional nutrients.
4. Water
All plants need some amount of water to grow. Check the soil to see if it is moist and consider the weather conditions recently. Apply water directly to the soil using a soaker hose or through drip irrigation if the soil seems too dry.
5. Regular Pruning
This is something that should be done in early spring and will help to continue to produce flowers throughout the season. First, pull off all the leaves and use your pruning shears to trim the horizontal canes that are growing into the center of the plant, around, or anything crossing the plant. This will allow an open center and decrease friction of the branches and blooms. Next, remove any branches that are diseased or dead. Cut back the vertical canes to an outward facing bud, making the cut about a half inch above that bud at a 45-degree angle and away from the bud.
6. Regular Inspections
Check on your roses to catch early signs of disease outbreaks or pests. This will allow for your roses to have much higher longevity.
7. Mulch
Add course, organic mulch around your roses in about a 2-3 inch layer. The coarseness of the mulch helps to reduce disease on the leaves of the roses since it decreases the amount of water that splashes onto them.
8. Soil
Plant roses in a soil that allows drainage. If there is poor drainage, it will drown your roses and allow little to no breathing room. Mix organic matter such as compost with excavated soil to use as backfill for the planting hole.
9. Site
The location where you plant your roses is equally as important as caring for them afterward. Make sure your roses are in an area that provides at least six hours of sun each day. If your roses are in the shade, they will be prone to diseases and other harmful conditions.
10. Plant Reblooming Roses
If you want roses that continue to bloom throughout the growing season, make sure to pick up Bright Melody, Fairy Moss and Knock Out roses. These are a few types of roses that will more readily rebloom.
11. Egg Shells
Egg shells are rich in calcium. This strengthens the tissue of a rose allowing for healthier blooms. Mix in crushed up shells into potting soil and add it to your potted roses or crush the shells and sprinkle them on the top layer of soil around the rose. The finer the shell is crushed, the faster it has the ability to release calcium into the soil.
12. Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds contain nitrogen which helps roses. Sprinkle some to the base of the rose or add some to a compost pile to help enrich the soil. Beware of adding too much because it will, unfortunately, hurt your roses.Just remember that a little goes a long way.
13. Insect Control
Using a systemic pesticide like acephate does its job in protecting the growth of your roses from mites, whiteflies, aphids and other pests. If your rose bush is adjacent to a vegetable garden, organic options like neem oil and insecticidal soap will be better.
14. Nurse Roots
Plants absorb nutrients and water from its roots, so do your best to tend for them. If you are going to dig around the soil of your roses be sure to not cut or damage the roots since a damaged plant will have a high risk of dying or may have a long recovery time.
15. Classical Music
Although this is not proven science, some gardeners truly believe that playing music helps plants grow from their response to the vibrations of the musical notes.
