New to gardening!!
maureenmeek
Posts: 2
Hello everyone, I have just joined today and would welcome any advice on how to look after my two new patio roses, i.e. best feeding, insect etc management and watering. I have never had my own garden and now have a small patch for said roses that I've always wanted so need to take good care of them! Thanks in advance. Maureen
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Posts
Can you tell me a bit more about your roses? What strain are they, and are they shrub, rambling or climbers. Some pics might be useful if they are looking unsatisfactory for any reason.
I have patio roses, some of which are 5 years old. I feed them every two weeks with seaweed solution. I mulch with bark chips even though the jury is out on the wisdom of this. If you feed on a regular basis a healthy rose will easily fight off the
`baddies'. If they do appear, a light spraying of rose clear is effective but I prefer to spray with a weak solution of washing up liquid and water to wash off. I then water after a couple of hours. Water deeply when pots are dry....sometimes I water only every other day in summer and less so in autumn and spring. I use the best rose food you can afford every April and September. At the end of November I put 10ml of Jeyes Fluid in a watering can and water surface of soil, this prevents spores of black spot and rust for the following year. If I notice greenfly I squeeze them on the buds.
Deadheading is vital to keep blooming. After first flowers usually there is a period of a few weeks before new buds open, this does depend on variety you are growing.
I replace top few inches of compost in March. When rose outgrows pot I plant in the garden but if you lack space you can empty rose out of pot and cut some roots away,
to be done in dormancy and repot in compost with NO feed....just water.
Sounds a lot of hassle? Believe me, other plants need far more attention than a rose
but well worth the time you do spend.
Sit back and enjoy