My Enchanting Cottage Garden: 10 Steps to Growing Roses Organically

The most beloved flower of all is perhaps the most feared and the least planted, it is the garden rose. Growing Roses can be as easy as planting a marigold and will bring you joy for many years to come.

Many people complain "I can't grow a rose, it gets black spot, it gets bugs, it gets diseases, or it just won't grow."
Yes, I agree you can get those problems, but if you plan and prepare well before you plant and while you plant and after you plant you can minimize any problems common to the rose.

In my blog you will hear me expound on growing organically, there is a reason for that, it procures healthier and more disease resistant plants. I have listed 10 steps for you to follow to have lush blooming, healthy roses.

1. Choosing the planting site: The first step in planting roses is choosing the planting site carefully. Do not plant near a tree or large shrub that would rob the rose of needed water and nutrients. Roses need at least 6 hours of sun a day, Very few roses bloom well in the shade.

2. Digging the Hole: Dig the hole at least 24 inches wide and 24 inches deep, this will insure the plant roots can be adequately accommodated and will drain well.

3. Soil mixture: Roses need well-aerated, organically rich soil with a ph. range of 6.2 to 6.8. Once the hole is dug add to one to two tablespoons of Epsom salt for magnesium and bone meal for needed Phosphorus. Take the newly dug soil and mix with compost.

4.

Prepare Roses: For Bare Root roses choose three to six of the strongest canes spread in all directions, then cut t hem back with a pruner to a length of 4 to 8 inches, snipping just above outward facing buds. Potted roses need to be thoroughly watered a day before planting. Prune the rose by at least a third. To remove the rose, place the container sideways on the ground then gently remove the rose from the container. For Own Root roses, little needs to be done except water well before planting.

5. Plant Rose: Insert rose into prepared hole, and cover the roots up to three inches past the crown line. Keep soil loose and crumbly; lightly but firmly tap the soil around the rose. Water deeply.

6. Fertilize: Organic nourished roses will be able to resist diseases and insect pests. An organic diet of compost will encourage your rose to bloom more abundantly and have more luxuriant foliage. Organic fertilizers can be applied anytime but do best early in the season as they remain in the soil longer. A good source of organic fertilizer is, bone meal, Epsom salt, alfalfa pellets, green sand, fish emulsion, cottonseed meal, kelp meal, and animal manure.

7. Water: Water deeply and less frequently. Provide 1 inch of water per week, in one or two deep applications. Water in the morning. Water slowly and repeatedly. Water whenever the rose blossoms.

8. Mulch: Place organic mulch four to six inches around rose plant. Mulch protects the rose from, heat and water evaporation in the summer and from winter freezes.
Pest: The best offense for pest is a good defense. Plant beneficial herbs such as chervil, cilantro, dill, fennel, parsley, lovage to attract beneficial insects.

10. Prune: Pruning regularly will provide and an abundance of blooms. Prune in spring or late
winter.

My Roses

In all the years of growing roses I have never bought chemicals to spray on my roses. They have flourished just the same. Below you can see pictures of roses in my rose garden