Good rose care programme?

What would be a good rose care programme in the UK? I was wondering how it would differ between here and there as regards all aspects from fertilising to pruning, and everything in between.

 

I think this is a question for our Rose expert @wiseowl, if he would be so kind.

 

I'm looking forward to his reply. I have a feeling that the climate differences between here and there will not only provide a good discussion, but be very educational for all.

 

Although in the south, heavy frosts are still common in April, so pruning would be at the end of that month, or beginning of May if its a bad Winter. I would assume it would be a lot earlier in most of the UK. Is that correct.

At the same time as the pruning, it would be normal here to fertilise. What would be the choice in the UK for this?

Part of the thoughts behind this thread is not only to compare our two countries, but also to promote a discussion between members.

 

Following on from Woo's general guidance, my own experience is slightly different to the norm......

I live in the north/west of England but being a small island the climate is different to many other parts of Britain. We have very few frosts and rarely see temperatures below freezing, but we have high rainfall and almost a constant breeze/wind. I live in a coastal position so have sandy soil which isn't the best for growing roses as it lacks nutrients.

I am able to prune my roses from mid to late February and with the mild winter we've had so far this year, some of them still have leaves and flowers. I haven't got the strength to handle manure now, but after pruning I feed the roses with chicken manure pellets and then cover the bed in home produced compost, this not only provides nutrients but also helps water retention. Because of my sandy soil, I will feed again in late April with blood, fish and bone, then a last feed with chicken pellets towards the end of July. In early September I will mulch again with compost and then leave the roses to rest through the winter months.

Because of the inclement weather here I opted to grow Floribunda's, being hardier than the other types of roses.

 

Two interesting posts!

Woo, what kind of feed do you use? I generally feed mine after pruning, using a mix of fertilised peat and cow fertiliser over the whole of the bed, and then a granular long term rose fertiliser near the base of each plant. After about a month, a liquid quick acting fertiliser will be added. The last one being the beginning of July.

Sheal: I have sandy ground here as well. Hence my name... Do you mix the blood fish and bone yourself, or is it available over the counter there?

One thing that I have been thinking about lately are quantities. I know roses are "greedy plants" but just how greedy are they? I have a feeling that I could give mine a lot more than I do, but where is the limit that does more harm than good?

 

Good morning @wiseowl

I like the idea of the sulphate of potash, but would expect that it would be better to use it a bit later here, again due to the climate.

The idea of tea leaves is attractive, there are always plenty of those around here. Might try the tomato feed as well if its available.

 

No, I can't mix them myself. Unfortunately the island brings with it many restrictions, including supplies of the more unusual sort so I buy a mix off the shelf. It is so cheap to buy that it wouldn't be worth producing/mixing myself anyway.

http://www.wilko.com/plant-food+fertilisers/wilko-fish-blood-and-bone-15kg/invt/0274757

I think there is a point where most plants can be over fed. Even with sandy soil I restrict mine to only three feeds a year, if they needed any more or less than that it would show in the plants growth and general health.

 

I had a look if Sulphate of Potash is available here. It is, at a cost of £50 for a 500g box! At a rate of 2oz (= abt. 60g) per plant that adds up to a lot of money! I suspect the best idea will be to look for an NPK with the right balance. With luck, and if a good one is available, I might be able to get that through one of the farm outlets.

Otherwise, tea leaves are looking to be a good option. Wheres the kettle?

@woo As regards sunlight, dont forget that we get a lot more in summer, but not much in winter.

 

Looking for a suitable NPK fertiliser yesterday, I did find a possible source of Sulphate of Potash. About £20 for a 25kg sack. A lot different to the price above! Its being investigated...

I'm not really a fan of underplanting roses, but looking around yesterday, I did find a few possibilities of plants that could help in their care. It seems to be that various ones have the ability to help roses remain healthier. Apparently alliums deter aphids, and others deter ants. How true is this, I wonder?