You have most likely heard the phrase “roses love water but they don’t like wet feet.” And that’s true. They do love water but too much and they “drown.” You’ll see the leaves turn yellow and droop!
So how much water do they need? When I first started growing more than just a few roses, one of the most confusing pieces of advice to me was… “roses need 2″ of water per week.” What? How do you know what 2″ of water is? I will confess to doing some odd watering and measuring while I was figuring things out. There are so many factors that play into the “how much” decision. Your soil type, drainage, wind, temperature, and such.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
To set them up for success, water regularly, slowly, and deeply. DEEPLY! Deep watering sends those roots down deep where they are more protected from drought and winter weather.
If you have ever dug up an established rose you know that they have some roots that seem to go to China! I have seen my roses go through periods of drought to the point I thought I would surely lose them but when the rains come and they drink their fill, they resurrect and are good to go again. Remember, Paul Zimmerman is right, “roses are just blooming shrubs.’
While we are talking about water… I’ll mention when to do so. Fungal diseases love damp and cool so putting the roses to bed dry goes a long way in keeping them healthy. I try to water early enough in the day that the leaves can dry.
I am not going to have to worry about watering for quite a while. Currently, there is puddling all throughout the garden.
NEW ROSES!
I received some very happy mail this week. Proven Winners sent 4 roses for me to “test” in my garden. These roses will be coming to garden centers in 2023 or can be purchased online here. I had the pleasure of seeing these roses in bloom at a conference recently making me even more excited to have them in my garden! Fragrance is back!
Rise Up Amberness: A healthy, fragrant rose that can be grown as a shrub or a short climber – up to about out 5′. (2-3 wide and 3-5 tall)
Rise Up Lilac Days: Healthy, exceptionally fragrant rose that can climb up to 8′ Very floriferous.
Ringo Double Pink: Multiple colors on one plant… pink, magenta, and a red center (2 – 3′ Tall and Wide)
Reminiscent Crema: Creamy white, full, lush blooms with old rose fragrance (2′ x2′)
Rise Up Lilac Days is going in a container on the Potting Shed porch!!
LOCAL FRIENDS…
There are some wonderful events coming up…
PLANT SALE…
Hendricks Co Master Gardener Plant Sale
Tues, May 17, 6 – 8 pm
Hendricks Co Fairgrounds / Cartlidge Barn
ROSEFEST … a time to bloom
This will be the first Rosefest since the COVID lockdowns. After the past two years, we are all excited to bloom!
This will be a day filled with beautiful roses, rose growing demonstrations, a tour of the HC Master Gardeners’ beautiful rose garden, free roses for first 40 guests, a rose show, and wonderful speakers.
SAT, JUNE 11, 9 am – 3 pm
HAMILTON CO 4H FAIRGROUNDS (Link)
2003 E PLEASANT STREET
NOBLESVILLE, IN
SPEAKERS:
Diane Sommers
PROGRAM: Rose Classifications … Something for everyone!
Diane Sommers is the current American Rose Society President
Dr. Raymond Cloyd
PROGRAM: Japanese Beetle Management
Dr. Raymond Cloyd of Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS. Professor and Extension Specialist in Horticultural Entomology/Plant Protection.
You can find additional information about ROSEFEST here.
GETTING BACK TO WORK
All the rain has slowed down spring garden work a bit making me extremely happy to know that there is no rain in tomorrow’s forecast… no sun either but I’ll take dry! I need to fertilize the roses and put down mulch! The old garden roses will be blooming before we know it. 🎉🌹💃
Friends, enjoy your time in the garden!
T,
Just a few roses? LOL.
Roses are simply too needy for this zone 7A Virginia gardener. Tiny, the very old floribunda residing here had one root over 36″ long when I moved her years ago. Although beautiful, for the past two years, rabbits have bitten off the main stem early in the spring, so no blooms!
When you mentioned puddling, I see what you mean! Although I must say, I have puddle envy, as my gardens have few level places, permitting good drainage, but caused crippling osteoarthritis due to 21 years of mowing the hilly turf.
Garden on! Diane
Great information about watering roses. The major part of my garden is wet – very wet – so I rarely have to think about watering my roses which are blooming in the ‘driest’ spot. I rarely have to water and they come along very nicely.
Happy Mother’s Day! My roses have exploded as there are sooo many roses in full bloom right now. But we, too, have had a lot of rain, and today it is chilly, windy, and rainy. My Savannah Pink is just so utterly beautiful with the loveliest large rosebuds and huge roses on it. Just cut a few more of my Savannah Pink to bring indoors to enjoy today with it being Mother’s Day. I made a beautiful arrangement also. Today has been perfect so far. I watched a CD on the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada, twice this morning. WOW!!! My son had given it to me several years ago, and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it again today. These gardens are over 100 years old! Getting ready to have a Zoom meeting. Thank you for your blog and rose photos as I have not been on the computer the past several days.
Whenever you have the time, please Google Butchart Gardens and see all of the most beautiful photos of plants, trees, flowers, sculptures, and, of course, roses. Google rose gardens in the Butchart Gardens. These gardens are one of the most beautiful in the world out of ten gardens. There use to be a rose named Jennie Butchart, one of the original owners, who founded the gardens out of a rock quarry. Her husband sold fertilizer in paper bags from this rock quarry. Better still, if you can order the Butchart Gardens for All Seasons CD, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Correction to May 10, 2022 Post: Mr. Butchart sold cement in paper bags, not fertilizer, and please order the DVD, not CD, on the Butchart Gardens for All Seasons. It is such a wonderful and beautiful DVD on gardens including roses.
Just Google the Jennie Butchart Rose Photo and see all of the most beautiful roses including her red rose named after her and more photos of the Butchart Gardens. I just did.