Caring for roses

Roses are a good investment for any gardener as they can live up to 15 years with proper care and attention. There are many varieties, sizes and colors to suit every garden, from miniatures in containers to climbing roses over arches. Despite what people believe roses are one of the easiest flowers to grow.

First you need to buy a rose bush and bring it home. Then choose a site in your garden that receives about 5 hours of sun per day.  Next soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour or two. Then dig a hole.  The hole must be wide enough to take the roots when spread out and deep enough to come up the heel of the bush; where the main branch grows away from the roots. To make sure the bush is planted upright ask someone to hold it while you fill the hole up. You may want to add a handful of slow release granular fertilizer to the soil before replacing it back in the hole. Then firm the soil around the rose by treading it down. Water, and there you are a rose of your own.

Roses need pruning in the spring or the autumn, when the rose bush is dormant, and to do this successfully you must invest in a good quality pair ofsecateurs. A good pair will last you the entire life of the rose bush. Good pair secateurs will feel good in your hand. So take your time, feel for weight, and feel for grip. Most secateurs handles will be shaped with little divots for your fingers to go in, find the pair whose divots best fit your hand. When pruning a bush rose there are a few simple rules in the first year prune the bush down to 4-5 inches choosing outward facing buds. This doesn’t apply to climbing roses; they will only need dead wood removing in the first year. Choose a bud that is facing outwards. This bud will grow into a shoot, so you want one that's going to grow out, not into the centre of the plant. Cut at a slant, not straight across. By doing this any rain will run away from the bud, rather than drown it. Make a clean cut, about 1/4 inch above the bud. After the first year you will prune as before but also remove dead wood, suckers and branches that cross the middle of the rose bush. To find dead wood, cut down the branch you think might be dead, cutting out the whiter brittle wood. If the wood changes to darker moist wood, then it is not dead, so cut it to just above an outward facing bud. Remember when pruning that you keep an eye on the shape of the rose bush and keep the centre un-crowded so air can circulate, keeping down diseases and pests. Climbing roses only need light pruning to keep there shape and remove dead wood and suckers. The only other time to prune is when you see rust on your roses. As the name suggests rust is reddish brown patches on the leaves. If a branch of your rose bush develop rust, then remove it straight away. Do not compost rose foliage with rust as this will spread the disease.

Aphids can affect a rose bush so badly that it doesn’t bloom and look horrid. There are many chemicals on the market that work very well.  However if you worry using chemicals then get a small spray and fill it with a solution of soapy water. This will wash away the aphids by making the plant slippery. This makes it difficult for the aphids to stay on the plant and will save your roses from being dried out by the tiny bugs. Never spray roses in the heat of the day as the sun will scorch the rose bush and dry it up. Spray roses in the evening.