Things You'll Need:
- Nutrient rich fertilizer
- Compost
- Peat moss
- Mulch
- Pruning shears
- Gardening gloves
- Insecticide
-
Step 1
Feeding roses on a regular schedule promotes a healthy plant. Roses need a significant amount of nutrients each year and require feeding with specifically formulated rose food containing the correct nutrient levels to encourage growth and blooms.
Follow the feeding instructions particular to the rose food you use and alternate between a high nitrogen fertilizer early in the season and a fertilizer high in phosphorus for the blooming season. Feed roses every two to three weeks, or as needed. -
Step 2
Prune rose plants during the fall when the plant is dormant and again in the spring. Remove any dead or diseased stems and trim the plant so there are several main shoots. Trim away excess leaves and small shoots between the main stems to allow good ventilation and air circulation. Pruning away excess stems and leaves allows all of the nutrients to feed the main stems.
-
Step 3
Protecting the plants during the months that experience excessive weather conditions is essential to caring for roses. During the summer months, moisture loss and weeds that drain nutrients from the soil are health care issues.
During the winter, moisture loss plus temperature conditions affecting the plants stems and root system are problems. -
Step 4
Supply rose plants with water during the summer months, especially when there is insufficient rainfall, by soaking the ground around the base of the plant to a depth of six inches.
Use organic mulch around the base of the plant before it blooms to help eliminate weed growth. A benefit of organic mulch is that, over time, it will turn into nutrient-rich compost. -
Step 5
Protect the roses from extreme temperatures and the winter sun and wind that remove moisture from the roses. In northern climates, where continuous freezing and thawing cycles take place, protect rose plants by adding a 3 to 4-inch layer of soil around the base of the plant, then top the soil with a layer of mulch or straw to hold in heat.
-
Step 6
Spray or dust plants with a quality pesticide to maintain and prevent insects, insect larvae, eggs and fungal diseases from attacking the roses. Plants are susceptible to disease during high humidity and damp conditions due to heavy rain.
