In spring and early summer, rose care is all about encouraging new and rapid growth. By July, it’s more about survival. This can be a difficult time for roses as temperatures soar and conditions dry out. Stress can lead to reduced flowering, pests and diseases to gain ground.
Good rose care now, during this critical period, all that is needed is to maintain their health in difficult conditions. These simple but important July tasks will help them survive, thrive and continue to bloom all summer long. And what’s the biggest mistake you can make to stop repeat blooms? Check out task number one below.
1. Deadhead Spent Blooms
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Repeat blooming roses produce a lovely flush of abundant flowers in late spring and early summer. If you treat them right, they will do it again, but taking care of July is critical. THE the biggest mistake you can make is lazy about deadheading or not doing it right.
Roses deadly it sends a signal to your plant that it’s not finished producing flowers yet, stimulating another cycle of blooms. The correct way to do this is to make a clean cut just above the first set of five leaflets. If your roses grow in clusters, cut off each individual flower as it fades.
Be sure to use clean, sharp shears to prevent the spread of disease and stem damage. Fiskars bypass pruning shears, available on Amazonit is a good budget friendly option.
It is better to fade regularly than to wait for all the flowers to fade. Check your bushes every few days and cut off any spent flowers. This simple chore will keep your roses blooming all summer long.
2. Water deep
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The next most important thing you can do to keep your roses happy, healthy and blooming is to keep the soil moist. July in many gardens is warm with little rainfall. Roses need an inch of water per week, so if it doesn’t rain, you need to provide water.
The best way to rose water summer is to water deeply once or twice a week and not shallowly every day. Deep watering encourages the roots to grow deeper into the soil, where it is cooler. Hose water or drip irrigation – this Carparthen kit from Amazon will get you started. Avoid overhead watering, as leaf liquid encourages fungus.
How often you give your roses a deep watering depends on several factors. Increase frequency in very hot or dry conditions. You should also water pot roses more often, possibly every day, depending on the weather.
3. Keep Mulch Fresh
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Mulch is essential for roses in summer. There are many benefits to maintaining a clean two- to three-inch (5–7.5 cm) layer of mulch around rose bushes. The first is that it keeps the soil cool, which helps reduce plant stress.
Mulching around a rose bush it also helps retain soil moisture, which is critical during a hot, dry summer. Covering the ground reduces the risk of fungal seeds splashing up and onto the leaves during watering or rain. Finally, a good layer of mulch helps keep weeds at bay.
July is a good time to make sure the mulch layer around your roses is deep enough and clean. Add more or replace the degraded layer as needed. Always keep mulch a few inches away from the rose stems, as piling it there can actually contribute to disease and rot.
You can use straw or shredded husk, but coconut husk is also a good choice, as Back to Roots Organic Coconut Expandable Mattress.
4. Feed, but lightly
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Roses are notoriously heavy feeders. Fertilization of roses it is important for healthy growth and continued flowering. You probably started feeding your roses in the spring, which is the time to feed heavily to promote new growth. In July, you should continue to feed roses to keep them healthy, but not so much that they damage many new plants during hot, often dry weather.
Stick with a balanced fertilizer in July, such as 10-10-10. You can also search for a specific rose product such as Miracle-GRO Water Soluble Rose Foodand follow label directions.
Water your roses deeply after applying the fertilizer to reduce the risk of stress. If your garden has been through a major heat wave or drought, skip the fertilizer for now and focus on watering. You can resume feeding once the temperatures drop.
5. Watch for pests and diseases
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Rose pests and diseases they often root more easily when plants are stressed. The stress of July’s heat, humidity and dry soil means you need to keep a close eye on your rose bushes. I’m looking for aphids, spider mite, Japanese beetles, black spotand powdery mildew.
If you see pests, start with the least harmful method of control, such as water spraying, and if necessary, proceed to insecticidal soaps or other pest control products. For signs of disease, deal with them by removing and discarding any affected leaves. Clean the soil around the roses to prevent the spread of disease. Proceed with chemical fungicides only if necessary.
BioAdvanced All-in-One Rose and Flower Plant Care Spray provides good protection against pests and diseases.
July Rose Care Essentials
Fiskars bypass pruning shears
Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Rose Food
Bioadvanced All-in-One Rose and flower care spray
While early summer is a growing season for roses, think of July care as maintenance. Now is the time to protect your roses and encourage more flowers, not to trigger a flush of new growth. Focus on water, deadheading, light feeding, mulching and pest and disease control to get the most out of your plants.
