My mom has been doing some research into gardening and writing up some tips for the blog. I’ll try to post them regularly. I hope you enjoy these!
In the same way your success in taking a test in school depends on your preparation prior to test day, the success of your rose garden depends on the soil preparation prior to planting.
Ideally, two weeks before you begin planting roses, you will follow these tips so that your roses will past the test with flying colors.
Roses are plants that require large amounts of nutrients in the soil in order to develop large colorful blossoms. So the secret to planting roses is to properly prepare the soil.
Planting Roses
Step 1 – Loosen the soil. Once you determine where you want to put your roses, keeping in mind that they will require 4 to 6 hours of direct sun each day, you will need to dig up (till) the ground in your rose bed. Make sure there is no hard soil remaining in the entire rose bed. Don’t only dig up the area where the plant will be placed. This is important so that regardless of the direction the roots grow there will be ample nutrition in the soil. You should prepare the soil at least 2 to 3 feet deep.
Step 2 – Dig a hole. After the soil is loosened in the entire bed, dig a 1 foot hole where you will place the rose bush later. Place the soil from the hole in a wheelbarrow or on a plastic sheet to facilitate returning it to the hole later.
Step 3 – Add fertilizer. You will need to add about 3 inches of fertilizer into the hole. This could be compost, manure or peat moss. You should consult a local nursery expert to determine the best fertilizer for your part of the country. Fertilizers perform differently in different climates and in soil compounds.
Step 4 – Keep digging. Dig down another foot while mixing the fertilizer with the dirt in the hole as you go. Once the fertilizer and dirt are well mixed, add the dirt that was originally set aside back into the hole.
Step 5 – Add more fertilizer. Add another 3 inches of fertilizer over the top of the entire rose bed. You may want to additionally add bone meal or special rose fertilizer too, but it’s not be required for a beautiful rose garden.
Step 6 – Rake the entire bed. You will want to use a rake to mix the last layer of fertilizers with the soil in the entire bed. You should have a smooth, neat looking bed for your roses.
Step 7 – Wait 2 weeks before planting. This is really the hard part, but you’ll need to wait 2 weeks before planting your roses in order to give the soil a chance to absorb the nutrients and become a welcoming environment for your roses to flourish.
By following these simple steps you will ensure the your rose bushes will grow large and beautiful.
Have you ever had a successful rose garden?
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