Advice and Rose Care

March / April - the "to do's" for rose lovers

Weeding

Clear the beds of weeds when the soil is moist and loose. Remove the plants with the roots and dispose them in the compost (stubborn root weeds, such as goutweed and field horsetail belong in the household garbage).
With suitable tools (hoe, garden claw) this can be done more comfortably.

Piling and fertilizing

In spring, every rose lover's hands itch to get his treasures up and running. But be careful: do not remove the winter protection too early. Remain patient! Even if the shoots are already clearly sprouting, wait with the spring pruning, because the dreaded late frosts often cause fatal damage.

The golden rule for piling and pruning roses says that the right time for these care measures is the flowering time of the forsythia. Only when these bright yellow flowering plants have fully bloomed in your region, stronger frosts are no longer to be expected.

When removing the pile, spread the soil loosely around the rose, use horn shavings and soil activator and work them in loosely, dose rose fertilizer according to the directions, spread and work it in.
Reduce the amount if compost, etc. was used. Because the fertilizer that is not absorbed by the plants pollutes our groundwater.

Pruning

Prune your roses according to the rose group, even if the plants already have longer shoots. After pruning, they will sprout all the more abundantly and build up sturdily. Shorten floribunda and hybrid tea roses to approx. 4 - 6 eyes and thin out ground cover and wild roses to 15 cm. For shrub roses, cut down 1/3 of the shoot length and rejuvenate every 3 years by cutting an old woody main shoot to 15 cm. For climbing roses, cut side shoots back to about 5 eyes and rejuvenate every 3 years.
Remove dead wood and rose cuttings from the bed.

Aerate the soil well

All roses like loose, aerated soils. If the soil is heavy or after intense rainfall, use a rose fork or pitchfork to gently aerate the soil between rose plants by moving it back and forth. Wait until the soil has dried thoroughly to avoid damaging the tender roots. Air can reach the rose roots through these fine channels, this measure activates and supports soil life and ensures optimal development.