David Austin Roses are a great addition to any garden. They add beauty and elegance to any space as they are known for their exquisite fragrance, old-fashioned charm, and stunning range of colors. We want to make sure that your David Austin Roses thrive so that you can enjoy these beauties for many years to come. Here are our top tips and tricks to have success with your David Austin Roses.
Tip 1: Watering
Watering your David Austin Rose is our first key to success. If your roses receive too much or too little water it can cause lots of problems. During the warm summer months, it is important to keep your rose hydrated. Keep the soil around your rose moist at all times. One way to check if your roses need water is to stick your finger into the soil around the plant. If it feels dry to the touch, it's time to water. If it still feels moist, you can wait a little longer. When you water, avoid getting the foliage wet. Wet leaves can promote fungal diseases, which can harm your roses. Instead, water the soil around the base of the plant, aiming for the root zone.
Tip 2: Deadheading your Rose
Deadheading is a simple but important task to help keep your David Austin roses looking their best all season long. Deadheading refers to the process of removing spent blooms from your rose bushes, which helps promote new growth and encourages your roses to keep blooming. To deadhead your David Austin roses, start by finding a spent bloom. Follow the stem down to the first set of healthy leaves and make your cut just above them, using a sharp pair of pruners. This will encourage the plant to put its energy into producing new growth and blooms, rather than putting energy into producing seeds.
It's important to deadhead your roses regularly throughout the season, especially if you want to encourage a continuous flushes of blooms. Aim to deadhead your roses once a week, or as soon as you notice a spent bloom. You can continue to deadhead up to late September.
Tip 3: Pruning
Pruning helps keep your roses healthy, encourages new growth and blooms, and gives your garden a neat and tidy appearance. In the spring following your first flowering season is when you want to do your first prune. Start by removing any dead, diseased, or damaged wood. Then, remove any crossing branches or branches that are growing towards the center of the plant. Finally, prune the remaining branches back to a healthy leaf bud, cutting at a 45-degree angle. You can also prune to shape your rose for the upcoming flowering season. Consider the overall shape of your rose bush as you prune. Aim to create an open, vase-like shape that allows air and sunlight to reach the center of the plant. Once you're done pruning, remove any debris from around the base of the plant and dispose of it. This will help prevent the spread of disease.
Pruning in subsequent years
Following your first major prune, each spring you can prune your rose back by one third. Remember to remove and diseased, dying, dead, or damaged stems first then shape the rose to your taste.
Tip 4: Mulch in the Winter
Mulching your David Austin roses in winter is a simple and effective way to protect your plants from the harsh weather and keep them healthy and happy. After the first frost is the perfect time to add in mulch. It is important to pick a high-quality organic mulch, such as shredded bark, compost, or straw as to protect the dry winter winds from harming your rose. Apply the mulch by creating an 8 inch mound around the base of rose making sure to cover the entire root zone. Mulching helps insulate the soil, keeping it at a more consistent temperature and protecting the roots from extreme cold. It also helps retain moisture in the soil and suppresses weeds.
In the spring, once the weather has warmed up and the roses have started to grow again, remove the mulch from around the base of the plants. This will help promote healthy growth.
Tip 5: Planting
When you receive your rose, it is important to plant it right away. If you can't plant your rose in the ground right away, plant it in a container until you have time to plant it into your garden. If your rose in not hardy for the region you live in, you can also plant and grow your rose in a large container. Then move the container to a protected area like a shed, greenhouse or garage in the winter. Remember to check on your potted roses during the winter and give them a bit of water if the soil is dry.
We hope these tips and tricks for growing David Austin roses have been helpful and inspiring! Remember, growing beautiful roses takes time and patience, but the rewards are more than worth it. From deadheading to pruning to mulching, taking good care of your roses will ensure that they continue to bloom and bring joy for years to come. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us a support@coastfarms.ca; we are here to help! So, grab your gardening gloves, get outside, and have fun growing your David Austin roses.