Given the right plant care, a plant can live for at least ten years. Plant’s are immortal if only the environment they live in is conducive. Roses are one of the most adaptable plants on the planet. They bloom, they have thorns, and they can survive almost any circumstances. 

Bare-root roses are ideal to be cultivated during a dormant season. November and March are the most ideal months for bare-root roses to be planted for a better chance of living and surviving.  

Once the plant has established its roots, you will need to prune them during the late winter season. When you prune, you can go up to thirty to forty centimetres of the ground and leave at most four stems. 

First, you can cut the dead wood and tangling branches. Then, you can cut the branches at an angle and near the top of the main bud. Be careful when you cut your roses. It is not recommended to just snap it off its branch. It will slow down rejuvenation and growth. Hence, your roses will take longer to exhibit blooms again. 

After you prune your roses, you will mulch them with good quality compost. Then, wait for buds to break and feed them every week. It will trigger your roses to continuously produce blossoms. You can add foliar feeds to give it quite a boost. Spray it on the leaves for insect or bug protection as well as resisting diseases. 

When your roses are at’s peak of blossoming, give them feeds high in potassium. Comfrey tea for example is an effective compound that will keep your roses thriving and flourishing. June is the month when roses are at their most beautiful. So, you will need to keep picking them so you’ll encourage more rosebuds to sprout. If the sepals are reflexed back, then it is safe to pick them regardless of their blooming stage. 

If you pick roses from different stages, your flower arrangement will have more variations. It will also look good on bouquets if you want to achieve a fresh early summer aesthetic. In the late summer, roses will produce a second wave of blossoms. After that season ends, you will need to lightly prune them considering the third growth lopped off. It will keep your roses safe from any damage when winter comes. Then, you will refrain from feeding them.

Unique Roses

  • Chandos Beauty – this kind is perfect if you want a scent that is poignant but very friendly. It has large flowers rendered in pink and apricot palettes. 
  • Irish Hope – is pale yellow in colour and emits a honey and lemon aroma. 
  • Just Joey – is a unique long-stem rose with rusty orange hues. It can grow up to fourteen centimetres. Hence, ideal for bouquets. 

Roses can be quite hard work to cultivate and maintain. But, imagine the world without them? How many empty vases will there be? Or how many bouquets would look as grand as roses? How will one express romantic love? Tulips don’t have that look, while carnation is too subtle. But roses, exude a beauty that will hypnotize your eyes with their spiralling geometry. 

By Vanessa