How to Grow a Rose at Home?

A Whistle Stop Guide to Growing Roses at Home!

Roses are undoubtedly one of the most popular flower varieties in gardens throughout the UK. And while they are undoubtedly lovely, they do come with their fair share of diseases that can negatively impact their growth and beauty. As a beginner gardener, it can be overwhelming to identify and treat common rose diseases that occur throughout the year. But fear not; this blog post aims to provide you with an informed, caring, and friendly guide to common rose diseases and how you can treat them.

Spring

When the Spring comes, roses begin to grow and bloom, but unfortunately, this is when they are at risk of developing diseases such as black spot, powdery mildew, and rust. Black spot appears on the leaves as small black spots, which expand, merge and eventually cause the leaves to fall. Powdery Mildew makes the foliage look as if it has a powdery coating.

Be sure to increase your watering in Spring, the roses are springing back to life and will need the extra help. If the weather is particularly warm, you could start mulching the area around the base of the rose. This will help the soil to retain moisture for longer.

Summer

In Summer, roses are likely to experience aphids, spider mites, and caterpillars. Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that can be found on the underside of leaves or on new growth. Spider mites cause yellowing and stippling of leaves, and caterpillars will chew away at the leaves, while coming out at night to feed.

Regularly check the soil moisture around your rose, if the soil is dry then you will need to water. Where possible water your roses every morning when it is a little cooler and only water the base of the bush. Wipe away any water that may have landed on the leaves so that the hot sun doesn't scorch your rose!

Autumn

Autumn is the perfect time to take stock of the health of your roses and prepare them for winter. During this season, your roses may experience diseases such as rose rust, leaf spot diseases, and stem cankers. The leaves will turn yellow with leaf spot diseases, and the stems will develop purple or black spots with stem cankers.

Your rose will start to show signs of dormancy, do not be worried about the yellowing of leaves or if they fall off completely. Prune your rose where necessary and continue to water your rose whenever the soil is dry. 

Winter

During the winter, roses potentially face the impact of severe weather conditions. Only a few diseases are likely to affect roses at this time of year, but rots caused by waterlogging are a common issue. Flowers can become discoloured or covered in mould, and leaves yellow and drop.

Your rose will no longer have any leaves or flowers, you can prune away any dead growth so that it can grow back when the weather warms again. Where possible, try to avoid letting the soil around your rose freeze over completely, using mulch can help to avoid this. You watering schedule can slow down too, water every couple of days as long as the weather isn't going to freeze the water.

Growing and nurturing roses is an enjoyable and rewarding experience for gardeners, but it is essential to keep an eye out for common rose diseases at all times of the year. Being aware of these diseases will not only help you identify them early but also enable you to take prompt action to prevent further damage to your roses. Remember always to prune and tidy your roses, water and feed them, and spot diseases early, prompt treatment is the key. Happy gardening!