Winter is finally starting to feel like a distant memory as the warmer and longer spring days creep in. This will come as welcome news for gardeners, as it means spending more time outdoors in the sunshine.
Following the colder months, it’s likely that your garden needs some care. And if you’ve got roses – which come in many colours and look beautiful in any garden – making them produce healthy blooms is crucial. Thankfully, there’s one simple task to do in March that’ll help you achieve this easily.
TikTok content creator Michael, known as The Mediterranean Gardener, recently made a video highlighting the importance of feeding your roses.
He said that early spring is the ‘perfect’ time to do this, as it’s before they tend to flower, meaning they’ll be thriving by the time summer comes and produce ‘loads’ of blooms.
Holding up a bag of rose food, he said: “There are a number of feeds out there but I’m lazy and like to go with a controlled release food, like this one, which will feed your rose all summer long with one application.”
How to feed your roses
Before you start fertilising, it’s crucial that you clear any debris and weeds around your roses, which will likely have cropped up during the unpredictable winter weather. Then, measure your feed to ensure you’re giving your plants the right amount.
Pour the food all around the base of your roses and then lightly agitate the soil. At this point, you can lightly water in if the forecast is looking dry.
The experts at the Royal Horticultural Society say you should feed them again in mid-summer after they bloom. This is especially true for repeat-flowering types like the Molineux, Pippin and Tranquility.
To encourage even more blooms, you should also try to keep the soil around your rose free of weeds. Roses produce some roots near the soil surface, so avoid damaging these by hand-weeding – just be careful to avoid the thorns.
