Roses are one of the most popular flowers to have in the home and garden and one of the most common flowers to share with loved ones.
The great thing about roses is that they can be planted at most times of the year, and autumn and late winter can be the most ideal time to start – increasing the chance of the roses blooming within the first year.
This is because the flower is in its dormant phase and gives the flower’s roots the perfect time to properly grow and establish.
It’s recommended not to plant these during the middle of the winter, however, as the ground will most likely be frozen, stopping the flower from getting the valuable nutrients it so desperately needs.
Keeping up with regular maintenance during this season is key to enjoying your roses for as long as possible, and it’s important to not neglect them.
Flower and gift delivery service, Eflorist, has shared some techniques to help your roses thrive throughout the colder months.
Water often
Caring for your flowers outdoors is equally – if not more – important than your flowers indoors. For outdoor roses, it’s “important that you water them every three days or so”.
In the colder months, when it tends to rain more often, you can extend this cycle to water your roses only once per week – but on really rainy days, there may be no need to water them yourself at all.
If you’re unsure if they need more water, check the moisture of the soil with your fingers to see if they need some.
Flowers and plants, like humans, need water to survive, so ensuring that you water them adequately is something you should “never forget”.
Deadhead your roses
Deadheading your roses will keep them “healthier” and help them to “continue to bloom”, and the best time to do this is from late spring to early autumn when they start to fade slightly – so for those who have well-established roses, and haven’t deadheaded them, “now’s the time”.
It takes around three minutes to carry out this task. To do so, remove any blooms that are wilted or brown first by cutting around one-quarter of an inch above the new leaf or flower bud.
You can also use your fingers to pinch these off or use some scissors for a more precise cut.
Removing these wilted flowers allows for “new blooms to grow”, which “keeps the health of your rose bush in top quality condition” throughout the season.
Prune in winter
Winter is “the best time of year” to prune your roses – providing them with the “strongest growth for the rest of the year”.
To prune your roses “properly”, make clean cuts that slope downwards around one-quarter inch above the bud, and cut to an outward-facing bud to encourage an open-centred shape.
For spreading roses, prune some stems to inward-facing buds to encourage upright growth – it’s recommended to use gardening gloves for this, just in case of any thorns.
