Rose & Flower Care

How to Plant Roses and Flowers

Roses and ornamental flowers need to be planted according to your climate. Most roses and ornamental flowers can be planted in the early spring before plants have begun to sprout leaves and the ground is not frozen. Roses need full sun, especially when plants are young. For both roses and flowers, the variety you choose will determine how, where, and when to plant roses and flowers. You can contact your local extension office for tips on planting.

Rose Care and Flower Care

Caring for roses and other flower bushes generally require five key aspects of care in order to thrive. Watering, fertilizing, mulching, pruning, and pest and disease management are crucial to the health of your landscape flowers.

• Watering: Rose gardening tends to involve more water than other flowering plants. Rainfall is often not enough, especially depending on where you live. You will need to water your roses when the upper few inches of the soil is dry. Sprinklers often won’t deliver the thorough watering for roses, and the wet foliage can promote disease. On the other hand, many ornamental flowers and shrubs can handle a few days or even weeks without additional watering, and overwatering is a common problem. With both types of plants, you need to look into the variety you chose and water according to every plant types needs.
• Rose Fertilizer and Flower Food: Fertilizing should be a simple process but can be made complicated by all the different types and formulations available today. A call to your local extension office or master gardener will clear up a lot of questions you may have, like when to fertilize roses and what kind of rose food or flower food is best for your area. Most flowers will need supplemental nutrition. The fertilizer you choose should be based on the type of plant you wish to treat, the existing nutrients in the soil, and the type of growth response you want (like bigger blooms or disease protection, etc). There are some products formulated for specific flowers and plants, like azalea food and evergreen food, which makes selecting fertilizers easier.  Always read all package instructions, as they often give you a wealth of information.
• Mulching: Mulching can be a huge part of your rose and flower care. Mulch helps to keep the soil moist, can help control some weeds, and can keep roots cool in hot temperatures and warmer in cold temperatures. You can use pine needles, pine bark, woodchips, and even old autumn leaves. Avoid any material that could pack down or inhibit water and nutrient flow.
• Pruning: It is very important to prune your rose and flower bushes, but it is important to do it properly. Pruning helps maintain the shape of your plants, and proper pruning encourages proper growth and airflow. Contact your local extension for proper pruning techniques for your particular plants.
• Rose & Flower Pest Control: Properly maintaining your rose bushes and flowers, using the steps above, will greatly decrease your need for pest and disease management products, because your flowers will be healthy and more likely to resist diseases or attacks. However, it is still highly likely that you will eventually need to heal or protect your plants. Research your problem before purchasing or using any rose pest control products, and ensure you choose the products formulated specifically for your type of flower.

Additional information: Our Rose Garden – University of Illinois Extension

Related pages: Plant Food, Tree & Shrub Care, & Garden & Lawn Pests