Roses loves sunny and airy locations
Roses love sunshine. Well-ventilated locations allow the leaves to dry quickly in the morning and after rainfall. This makes the leaves less susceptible to fungal pathogens such as black spot, powdery mildew and rose rust. The ideal soil for roses is loose, well-aerated, rich in humus and nutrients, and well-drained. Roses do not like waterlogged soil.
The ideal pH value is between 5.5 and 6.5.
A brief guide to soil types
The ideal soil is dark (humus content), slightly sticky (clay content) with coarse grains of sand. When moist, it is slightly clumpy.
Sandy soil is light, light in colour and consists of coarse, visible grains of sand. This type of soil should be improved with humus (compost). Bentonite (small clay pellets available from garden centres) increases water retention.
Heavy soil is sticky, shiny and can be formed into balls. Due to its high clay content, it becomes rock-hard when dry. Improvements can be achieved through green manure. To do this, legumes such as lupins, phacelia, peas, oil radish, clover, yellow mustard, sunflowers or buckwheat are sown and completely dug in during late autumn. Regular applications of fibrous compost also help. Aerate regularly during the rose year with a rose fork to prevent waterlogging.