Plant Care
Roses
Roses, the world’s favourite flowers, are great garden performers that, if well cared for, will live for many years and produce thousands of exquisite blooms.
Position
- Grow roses in a sunny spot with plenty of air movement around the plants.
Soil
- Before planting, dig in some well-aged manure or compost and some Dynamic Lifter pellets.
- In areas with acid soil, add some Yates Garden Lime.
Fertilising
- Feed rose plants regularly (at least monthly) during their growing season.
- Thrive Granular Rose Food and Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food can be alternated to provide roses with an all-round, healthy diet.
- Potted roses should be fed with Yates Once-A-Year Feeder for roses.
Pest & disease alert
- Black spot (dark spots on yellowing leaves), powdery mildew (white mouldy patches) and rust (raised orange bumps) are common fungal diseases that can seriously weaken roses.
- Insect pests such as aphids are attracted to the tender young shoots of roses.
- Control diseases and insect pests with Yates Rose Shield or Super Shield, combined systemic fungus and low toxic insect controls, or convenient, ready-to-use Yates Rose Gun.
- Confidor gives long-term systemic insect control, and once it’s dried, won’t harm garden friends like ladybirds and hoverflies.
- Yates Nature’s Way Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide that kills insect pests on contact.
- Yates Nature’s Way Insect Spray is an organic insecticide that also controls tiny sap-seeking mites.
Rose Pruning Tips
- Prune using sharp secateurs and a good pruning saw.
- Prune most roses in mid to late winter.
- Climbers, weepers and roses that only bloom in spring should be pruned after main flowering is over.
- Clear the centre of the bush and shorten all growth.
- Remove weak and spindly branches.
- Immediately after pruning, while roses have no leaves, spray with Yates Lime Sulphur to clean up fungal diseases, scales and mites.
Shopping list:
- Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food
- Yates Garden Lime
- Thrive Granular Rose Food
- Thrive Once-A-Year Feeder Roses
- Yates Rose Shield
- Yates Super Shield
- Yates Rose Gun
- Confidor Ready to Use
- Yates Nature’s Way Pyrethrum
- Yates Lime Sulphur
- Yates Nature’s Way Insect Spray
Handy tips:
- Wear strong leather gloves when pruning roses. Make sure that your fingers and the backs of your hands are well protected.
- Hang half-opened roses upside down to dry. They can then be used to make long-lasting bouquets.
- Cut blooms with long stems. This encourages more flowers to form.
| Autumn | Winter | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use Rose Shield, Super Shield or Rose Gun to control disease | Plant new roses. Prune established bush roses. | Feed monthly. Begin spray program. Prune weepers and climbers. | Pick roses regularly. Control pest and diseases. |
