It is no coincidence that the rose remains the favorite flower of many people: the one nicknamed the “queen of the garden” stands out from afar for its elegance, the profusion of its colors and its unmistakable scent. Poetic, romantic and timeless, the rose offers an incomparable spectacle of beauty, inviting you to daydream and wander the mind. And what could be more satisfying than seeing a rose bush in full bloom?
What a joy to have roses that come to life in our garden! They bring a unique lush touch to the environment, immediately enhancing the place with their majestic brilliance. Essential in spring and summer, if well maintained, the rose bush offers a majestic spectacle. Are you passionate about these unique flowers? Here is the secret to successfully growing your rose bushes. Follow these few planting and maintenance steps to have sumptuous summer flowers!
Roses, a true source of colors and perfumes
When rose bushes are well maintained and bloom profusely, they automatically beautify your home, whether they are planted in the yard, as a garden hedge or to enhance perennial beds.
Roses will always look great in an environment: Because they reveal a formidable chromatic palette, alternating between lively and flamboyant shades, ranging from red to pink to white and purple, including lavender, yellow, orange and even black. Their particularity: They can be single-colored, striped, spotted or in an infinite number of combinations. Aside from the aesthetics and visual spectacle, roses are also known for their intoxicating scent, whether it’s a hint of citrus, a tea scent or fruity scents.
It must be clarified: there are few plants as rich and as varied as rose bushes. They differ in size, shape, color and scent. Thus offering a multitude of location possibilities. Sometimes shrubs, climbing or miniature, rose bushes can be planted in a lawn, on a border, in a pot, to decorate a fence, a pergola or a facade. Some people prefer to admire large, classic roses, while others fall for a small, attractive bouquet. This summer, you can also opt for perennial tree roses to plant in containers and place on terraces or planters.
Good to know: before making any purchase, rose growers always advise you to think carefully about where you want to plant your rose bushes. Because not all houses are necessarily suitable for planting rose bushes, in the same way that certain gardens are not suitable for giving life to a red oak, a fern or an azalea.
Indeed, before starting any rose plants, it is important to take into account certain essential parameters and to ask yourself the right questions: is the place sunny enough, is this type of soil really suitable for roses, is there a water source nearby? We must not forget that the rose remains a very delicate flower which tends to quickly wither if all the conditions are not properly met to promote its growth and blossoming.
How to plant rose plants?
- Brightness : First of all, know that roses need a location in full sun or at least 6 hours of sun per day. In other words, choose a location that gets plenty of morning or afternoon sun.
- The Floor : Once you have decided on the brightest location, now find out the most suitable type of floor. You should know that rose bushes like deep, fertile, fresh and well-drained soils. However, they also adapt to clay and slightly sandy soils. If this is your case, and if the potting soil also contains gravel or rocks, consider adding compost or a planting mix to provide more nutrients. This will help your rose bushes grow better.
- Watering : Remember that they need well-drained soil, as the roots of roses should not remain in water. This means that you will necessarily have to water them all summer, especially on the hot days of August. Therefore, always choose a location near a water source and try to water early in the morning.
- Planting : Generally, planting takes place between November and the end of March. You must dig a deep hole in the ground (60 cm) and space the rose plants at least 50 cm apart. As rose bushes like the soil to be rich, to have abundant flowering, you must enrich the soil with compost, manure or powdered organic fertilizer. Immediately afterwards, water your rose bushes generously to ensure they root well.
- Pests and Diseases : Unfortunately, your rose bushes will not be safe from undesirables such as aphids, caterpillars or red spiders which love to live there. You will therefore need to arm yourself with powerful repellents to get rid of them. Likewise, although today’s rose bushes are more resistant to disease, they can still be affected by certain ailments such as chlorosis, powdery mildew, rust or marsonia fungus. It will then be necessary to treat them to prevent your roses from dying.
How to stimulate flowering in summer?
How to make roses bloom throughout the summer period? Just cut them! Pruning rose bushes is an essential step to ensure their longevity, boost their resistance to diseases and obtain abundant flowering. A few strokes of pruning shears and you will obtain a profusion of fresh and vibrant roses! First of all, it is essential to remove faded flowers gradually, to remove dead or tangled branches so that the rose bush can breathe properly. Your rose bushes should be pruned at the end of winter and after flowering.
It is therefore important to cut off any old, discolored or damaged stems.
How to proceed? Cut with pruning shears the faded flowers 1/2 cm above a group of 5 or 7 leaflets. The shoots will then produce more roses. If you cut off leaves that only have 3 leaflets, the rose bush will continue to grow but will not produce enough flowers.
When it comes to rose bushes with grouped flowers, do not hesitate to regularly prune the flowers which tend to fade before the others. As long as you constantly remove the dried flowers, the roses will continue to bloom all summer. Then you will need to fertilize them after they flower: you need to give them enough nutrients and energy to stay fresh and beautiful. This also allows the leaves to maintain their bright green color throughout the summer season.
NB : Always use pruning shears with a disinfected and sharpened blade for a clean, precise and harmonious cut.
