Rose Gardening in Early Spring

For those of you who live in parts of the world when March and April are the best skiing months, you'll have to wait out old man winter awhile for your spring rose gardening. Those of you who live in areas where you can see the promise of spring in late March or early April, then you're an "early spring" rose gardener.

Early spring is the beginning of great rose garden activities, as you prepare for those beautiful buds that will begin sprouting any day now. Here's a summary of what needs to be done in preparation for the tough growing season that follows.

Your first step is to gently remove the protective materials you placed on your roses before winter arrived. The exposure will introduce your dormant bushes to the gentle rains and warming sunny days of spring. Then cut back any dead and damaged canes that didn't survive the winter, and clear away any debris and residue from around the bushes, as well.

Imagine how hungry you'd be if you had just woke up from a long winter hibernation! Well, your roses are hungry like that. The best way to coax them from dormancy to budding is to feed them well and continue to do so every two weeks throughout the growing season. Remember to water well after every feeding.

Begin nurturing your bushes by adding some organic compounds to the soil. You can either buy pre-packaged organics from a garden supplier, or you can create your own recipe mixing composted manure or mushroom compost, or any of the usual meal blends that include alfalfa, cottonseed, fish or blood meal.

Roses require well-drained soil to thrive. If you notice standing water after watering your bushes, the soil has become too compacted during the winter. Work it loose with a spade or other garden tool. After preparing the soil, you can plant any new bushes you're adding to your garden, including container-grown roses.

It's now time to begin your fungicide spraying routine, either immediately. Or if you prefer, about two weeks after you've completed pruning. As opinions differ on this, use your best judgment. Rotate through different fungicides during the year to prevent any one fungus from becoming immune to a product.

Keep a sharp eye out for aphids, which are as much a sign of spring as April showers are. After removing them with a blast of water, apply insecticide from a mister to the affected areas. Unless you see evidence of plant damage, don't use any pesticides.

There you have it.

When spring is near, summer is on its heels. Your rose garden is now ready for spring, but your work is just beginning. It's time now to read our May-June article to learn how to prepare your roses for the summer heat.