How to Troubleshoot Rose Bushes That Won't Grow
Rose bushes that suffer from stunted growth could have a number of problems. Alkaline soil, insufficient sunlight, fungal diseases or lack of nutrients are a few of the potential culprits. Unhealthy roses also exhibit discolored leaves, cane lesions and defoliation. By providing the proper growing conditions for your rose bushes, you can produce healthy buds and canes. Restore the life of your rose bushes by inspecting your plants for fungal growth, improving the nutrients in the soil and pruning back any branches shading the bush. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soil pH test
- Lime
- Sulfur
- Bypass shears
- Lopping shears
- Pruning saw
- Bone meal
- Blood meal
- Epsom salt
- Fish meal
- Cottonseed meal
- Mulch
- Denatured alcohol
Instructions
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Conduct a soil pH test on the planting site. Roses need slightly acidic soil to absorb nutrients. Generally, rose bushes need a pH range of 6.5 to 6.8. Purchase a soil testing kit at your local county extension office. Dig a 6-inch hole to collect soil samples. Mail the samples to the laboratory's address provided on the kit. Wait for the results. Add lime to soil that is too acidic or sulfur to alkaline soil.
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Prune back any tree branches that are casting shade on your rose plants. Roses need full sunlight to grow. Full sunlight is characterized as an area receiving 6 to 8 hours of light a day. Move any large ornamental container-grown plants that are producing shade on the planting area.
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3
Fertilize your rose bush in the spring. Blend 1 cup of bone meal, 1/2 cup of blood meal, 1/2 cup of Epsom salts, 1/2 cup of fish meal and 1 cup of cottonseed meal. Water the area around your rose bush. Apply the mixture to one rose bush. Rake the area and water.
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Water your rose bush with an inch of water per week. Spread a 2-inch layer of mulch around the bush to help retain soil moisture. Use a mulch that releases acidic substances such as pine needles or shredded pine cones. Feel the top of the soil to see if it's dry. Water if the first 3 inches of the soil are dry, then allow the topsoil to dry out between watering.
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Prune back any diseased portion of the rose bush to prevent the spread of fungal diseases. Cut off any fungal spores growing on leaves or canes. Dip your pruning tool in a mixture of 70 percent denatured alcohol and 30 percent water to sterilize.
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Tips & Warnings
Bare root rose bushes take a longer time to grow than nursery bought, container-grown rose plants.
Avoid splashing the rose plant when watering, because it will encourage fungal disease growth.
References
- Photo Credit rose bush image by Yurok Aleksandrovich from Fotolia.com
