Rose Care: Early Spring Tasks
If March and April are good times for skiing in your area, then you can't start early spring rose care tasks just yet, but if in late March or April you can start to see signs of the arrival of spring, then early spring rose care is for you. If so, then read on for some good early spring rose care tips.
Early spring means that buds will soon be appearing on your rose bushes, and your main focus is to prepare for this, and the growing season which is coming and which is tough on your plants. Here are the things you should do:
First, remove any protective covering such as dirt that you placed over your roses during the winter months, so the plants are open to the sun and rain.
If any of the canes did not survive the winter, cut these back, along with any damaged ones. Then prune as usual, and be sure to complete this part of your rose care regime by removing any clippings and other debris from around the plants.
Now add organic compounds to the soil around your bushes, using either pre-packed compounds bought from your garden supplier, or your own mixture of mushroom compost and composted manure, or a meal blend. These may include blood, fish, cottonseed and alfalfa meal. This will allow the soil to have sufficient nutrients to feed the plants in the growing season.
The next part of early spring rose care is to loosen up any compacted soil using a spade or other suitable tool. Soil can become compacted in the winter months, and you may notice water still standing on the surface after watering. Roses need well drained soil or they will not do well.
Prepare the soil for any new bushes you are going to plant, and you can put these in now, either in the ground or in containers.
There are different opinions as to whether you should spray plants with fungicide now or 14 days after you have pruned the bushes, so you should make your own decision on this.
Fungal infections can become resistant to fungicide products, so be sure to use different products through the year, to prevent this from happening.
Rose care does not mean you necessarily have to use pesticide, in fact you should only do so if you see signs of pest damage. Aphids are a common sight in spring, so be sure to keep an eye out for them, and when they appear blast them with water or spray with insecticide.
Just like a bear emerging from hibernation, roses are hungry during early spring. Encourage them to emerge from dormancy and start budding by feeding them every two weeks from early spring and throughout the growing season, watering well after each feed.
So there is your early spring rose care regime, which should set you and your plants up well for the summer season to follow!
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