Think a quick spray with the hose is enough to keep your roses lovely and blooming?  Think again.  How, and when, you decide to water your roses is one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of basic rose care.  Here are a few tips and guidelines for keeping your roses supple, healthy, and beautiful year-round.

Early Morning is best

The general rule when setting up your watering schedule is that early morning watering is best.  If you water in the middle of the day or in the afternoon, much of the water will become evaporated before it can even reach the roots.  Many gardeners also prefer early morning watering because it allows the plant to become hydrated, and the rising sun helps dry the leaves relatively quickly.  If you water in the evening, the water will not become evaporated, but your plant is at greater risk of developing mildew because the leaves may remain wet for several hours.  Of course, not everyone’s schedule allows for a regular early morning watering routine.  If this is the case, and you must water in the evening, try to avoid getting the leaves wet.  Standing water on leaves makes the plant susceptible not only to mildew, but insects, pests, and variety of fungal diseases.  If you can avoid leaving wetting the leaves, then evening watering can work quite well because the cool of the night allows your rose bush to absorb the moisture. 

Feed Summer Thirst

Like it or not, roses are one of those flowering plants that require a lot of water.  They are thirsty plants, requiring approximately 1 to 2 inches of water each week.  So it comes as no surprise that summer is one of the times you’ll find yourself watering the most.  When summer comes, expect to water more than once a week, depending on climate, type of rose plant, the location of the plant, and its soil structure.  Use a rain gauge to see how much water is reaching the soil, and plan your watering schedule accordingly.  Hopefully, you mulched your roses thoroughly in the spring.  Mulch helps your rose plants conserve moisture during those long hot summer days.  The easiest and best way to gauge whether your plant is receiving enough water involves simple observation.  Are the leaves limp or sagging?  If so, your roses probably need more water.  Are the leaves yellowed, and starting to drop off?  This could be a sign that you’re over watering, and the plant is starved for oxygen.

Even though roses love water, know that they do not tolerate standing in puddles of water.  Roses require drainage, so it is crucial that you don’t leave your plants in standing water.  Find a balance wherein your roses are kept consistently moist (think mulch), but aren’t kept overly saturated.  When winter comes, plan on reducing the frequency of watering.  

Water at the Base of the Plant

When you water your roses, make sure you water at the base of the plant.  Roses have extensive, complex root systems.  Rather than dowsing the foliage and blooms, you should be aiming to move water to the plant’s roots.  Drip irrigation has made watering roses correctly easier than ever.  Drip irrigation allows your rose bush to absorb water slowly and thoroughly, without wetting the foliage.  A drip or soaker hose will usually supply your rose plants with roughly 1 to 2 gallons of water per foot each hour, depending on your water pressure.  You can connect your drip irrigation system to a water timer that allows you establish an automatic watering schedule.  Even if you’re not able to water in the morning, an automatic drip irrigation system can allow you to adjust your timer so that your roses receive early morning water feedings at regular intervals.

Spray Away the Pests

Although you should definitely avoid soaking the leaves on your rose bush in order to prevent against mildew, a quick and thorough spray every 2 to 3 days to wash away pests is not a bad idea.  Adjust the setting on your hose spray to a fine mist and spray the leaves thoroughly.  Make sure to reach the inner foliage of the plant, pests and insects gather.  This should be done early in the day so that the leaves can dry quickly. 

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