Boost for roses after tough times

This is a tough time of year for your roses, especially after the summer we have had. To help maintain their health and vigour as well as extend the flowering, it is best to keep up with a few basic tasks.

Deadhead

Ideally, deadhead daily to encourage more blooms.

Cut just above a five-leafed branchlet.

Practise good garden hygiene.

Remove any fallen leaves and spent flowers.

Add this material to the rubbish bin, not the compost pile, so as not to transmit pests and diseases.

Continue with weeding and push hoeing of the garden beds.

Fluff up the soil around the rose bushes as this helps to aerate the soil, reducing compaction around the base of the bushes.

Watering

Give a good long soak, early in the morning a couple of times a week.

Fertilising

Add a small handful of Nitrophoska Blue around the drip line of the roses.

Other tasks that can be carried out include:

 

Spraying

Spray regularly and alternate the sprays that are available to use.

Check the roses prior to spraying to see what the main pest and disease problems are and spray accordingly.

Organic controls

Many products are available now - check the choices at the local garden centres.

Companion planting

Companion planting is the planting of different crops in close proximity to assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination and other factors necessary to increase productivity. There are lots of options for planting to assist with maintaining high plant health - you just need to decide what plants suit your style of garden.

• Linda Hellyer is curator of the rose garden at the Dunedin Botanic Garden.