How to Properly Water Roses

Roses appreciate lots of water. It helps them grow to their fullest and promotes large, long-lasting flowers with rich color and thick sturdy petals. Roses assimilate food either through their roots or leaves (foliar feeding).  Water is the means by which the rose transports nutrients.

Soil, temperature and surrounding plants all affect how much water a rose will need during the growing season. In temperate climates, weekly watering is usually enough.  About 2” of water a week (about 4-5 gallons) may be all that is needed. If the soil is sandy or the garden is in a hot, dry or windy area, more frequent watering may be necessary. Care needs to be taken in areas where the soil holds a lot of moisture as too much water can promote root rot. Deep root systems are achieved by deep watering; this will help the rose to survive both droughts and winter freezes. Light watering, in turn, will let the rose establish roots that are very near the surface, making the plant more susceptible to the effects of too much heat in the summer or freezing in the winter.

Watering your roses early in the day and at ground level will help prevent diseases like black spot. Wetting the foliage excessively without the warmth of the day and sunlight to dry the leaves can encourage and spread disease. You can, however, about once a week spray your rose bush with water. A spray nozzle attached to the hose will provide enough force to clear the leaves of dust, dirt, spider mites and other insects.

Knowing when to water is not too difficult. You can invest in a water probe or just stick your finger into the soil. If it comes out completely dry, you may need to step up your watering. If it comes out muddy, that is an indication that there might be too much water or not enough drainage. Another indicator of too much watering is yellowing leaves that are soft. Yellowing leaves that are dry and crispy can indicate insufficient watering. If the soil is moist, that will indicate that the watering is just about right.

Mulching 2-3” around the base of the plant can help conserve up to 50% water consumption. Mulching also helps in keeping the weeds down and the soil cool. It can lower the temperature of the soil by 10 to 20 degrees. There are many types of mulch on the market.  You can either purchase some from your local nursery or use what you might have on hand. Newspaper either shredded or by just laying down the sheets and some soil over the top to anchor it, will keep weeds at bay and moisture in the soil. Some other things used as mulch are sawdust (make sure that it has been aged a year as using it fresh can deplete your soil of nitrogen), grass clippings (make sure there is no herbicide residue) compost, hay and well aged horse manure (applied in late winter to early spring).