Roses can be found in most British gardens. They produce lightly scented, stunning blooms in a range of colours, adding both vibrancy and interest to gardens for many years. Most roses flower in late spring and summer with many varieties repeat-flowering into the autumn. To keep roses looking their best from year to year, they require lots of care. From pruning to deadheading, fertilising and trimming, growing roses is not an easy task.
With this in mind, Liam Beddall, senior rose consultant at David Austin Roses, has shared how to encourage roses to produce “strong, healthy growth” and lots of flowers. Mr Beddall said feeding roses is a quick and easy task that will encourage the plant to flower abundantly.
He said it is “one of the most beneficial jobs you can do to ensure that your roses are at their most healthy and floriferous when summer arrives”.
He continued: “Feed roses in late March or early April, just as new leaves begin to emerge, and follow with mulching.”
The gardening expert suggests giving roses a single application of quality-controlled-release rose food to provide the plant with balanced nutrients for the entire season.
However, gardeners who wish to give their plants an “extra boost” once they have flowered can feed them tomato food.
He explained: “For an extra boost during peak flowering periods, potassium-rich tomato feed can encourage strong blooms.
“Roses are heavy feeders, meaning they require a lot of nutrients to grow strong and produce abundant blooms.”
Fertilising roses gives them nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Nitrogen will help your rose’s overall vigour and promote healthy green growth, while phosphorus will encourage root development and blooming.
Lastly, potassium, which can also be found in banana water, helps the plant fight diseases.