Roses
When to Plant
The best time to plant is in winter. If planting in spring or summer, keep well-watered.
Where to Plant
Plant in a sunny, open, position.
Roses like a rich well drained soil. Prepare the soil before planting by digging in plenty of compost, and a dressing of Novatec.
Raise beds in clay soil to improve drainage
How to Plant
Before planting cut away any damaged branches.
Aim for 3 to 4 main leaders, use sharp secateurs
Cut the main leaders to within 4 to 5 buds from the base of the plant.
Plant the rose to a depth level with the bud union just above the soil.
Pests and Diseases
For all of their beauty, roses do require regular spraying and maintenance to keep them pest and disease free.
Aphids
Keep an eye out for these unwelcome visitors
Aphids are small sucking insects that appear on new growth. Hose off, squash with fingers or spray with Yates Mavrik or Enspray 99 oil.
Rose Scale are sucking insects that look like fine white flakes stuck to the stem. Control with Enspray 99 oil mixed with Mavrik.
Mites are tiny sucking insects found on the underside of leaves causing distortion, speckling and silvering of leaves. Spray with Yates Mavrik.
Black spot appears as dark brown black spots in yellow rings on the leaf, usually in summer. Avoid wetting the foliage when watering. FreeFlo Copper can be sprayed as a protectant.
Powdery Mildew appears as a white floury powder on the leaf surface. Improve air circulation around the plant. Spray with Yates Fungus Fighter
Rust appears as orange spots on the underside of the leaf and turn black. Spray with Combat 3 in 1 Rose spray
Downy mildew is a disease sometimes confused with Black Spot as it appears the same. Downy Mildew tends to attack Roses in early spring while Black Spot attacks in late spring, summer. Spray with Buxus Blight Eliminator.
Good watering, feeding, pruning and air circulation help to keep roses healthy and disease free.
Types of Roses
Hybrid Tea roses grow from 1 to 2 metres in height with large double flowers on single stems. Some are fragrant.
Floribunda roses grow 1 to 1.5 metres in height with many clusters of flowers on one stem.
Floribunda roses
Little Miss Perfect is a relative new release with gorgeous coral blooms that smother the compact bush.
Climbers or pillar roses grow 2 metres plus in height. Some have hybrid tea type flowers others floribunda clusters.
Old Fashioned roses are often called species roses. Some grow to 4 metres in height, some are fragrant and have colourful hips in winter.
English roses (modern shrub) are bred to retain the best old fashioned rose traits of fragrance and flower form, but benefit from modern breeding being disease resistant and continuous flowering. They grow to a height of 1 to 2 metres. ‘David Austin roses’ are popular English roses.
Phil’s annual rose care and pruning workshop
After Care
Pruning
Prune roses when they are dormant in winter.
Remove weak or diseased growth to encourage new growth in spring.
Always use sharp secateurs.
Make the pruning cut 5mm above a bud on a 45 degree angle slanting backwards.
Remove spent flower heads in summer for continuous flowering.
For more detailed information, ask one of our staff, pick up one of our Rose brochures or look out for our Rose pruning demos in store
Watering
Roses require regular watering throughout summer.
Deep watering is more effective than light sprinklings.
Avoid wetting the foliage as this encourages the spread of fungus diseases.
Mulching
Mulch roses in early spring and again in mid-summer with a compost or Tui Mulch n Feed. Mulching keeps the roots cool and moist.
Feeding
Roses require regular feeding.
Use a balanced fertiliser such as Tui Rose food or Novatec.
Feed roses in early spring when new growth appears and again in mid-summer.
Water in well.