5 Simple Steps To Bigger Rose Blooms

Who doesn't love roses? The scent, the colours and the sheer abundance they produce. Or do they?

There are many reasons why your roses might not bloom as well as they should, or maybe even once did.

Let's dive into the reasons and help you on your way to your most prolific flower season yet!

In this guide, I will go through some tips and tricks to help your roses produce more flowers. It is worth going over the basics though, before you go too far.

Make sure the plant is in a sunny spot. Make sure it is a variety that is suitable for your growing conditions, and also check that it is free from any obvious pest or disease problems.

If you have some disease issues like black spots, why not try rose clear? This easy-to-use spray can really help sickly roses.

1. Feeding

When it comes to feeding, you want to feed newly planted or transplanted roses with a special feed. You then also want to feed them with a regular rose feed throughout the growing season.

After Planting Feeds

Firstly, let's talk about after-planting feeds. These are specially developed to help promote root growth, leading to the plant establishing itself quicker than normal.

The one below contains mycorrhizal fungi to help stimulate root growth and production.

Ongoing Feeding

You don't have to feed your roses. They can do just fine without the top-up nutrients.

But if you want the absolute best possible display, then feeding is essential.

This organic rose feed from vitax is really easy to use. Just grab a handful from the bucket and spread it around the base of your plant in spring.

Mix it into the top layer of soil and if the soil is dry give it a water. That's it, you are done.

You can repeat this process every couple of months to maximise your flowers.

2. Pruning

Pruning roses can be a thorny subject... with many gardeners having a certain way of doing it and telling anyone who will listen that any other way is plain wrong.

I keep it simple, as with most things in my garden. The exact advice will vary depending on the type of rose you have, a shrub rose requires different pruning than a climbing rose for example.

The advice below is just general, as this is not intended to be a pruning guide. If you want a pruning guide, then the RHS have an excellent one here.

Step one is to open the centre of the rose bush up to allow for good airflow. This reduces the chances of fungal problems. Any canes that rub against each other should also be removed, much as you would do with a tree.

Remove old, weak growth to encourage new healthy growth that will carry more flowers.

You can really sharp secateurs, so you make clean cuts and reduce the chance of infection. As it just so happens, I sell some of the best secateurs on the market.

These secateurs are made in Japan and are razor sharp and stay that way for a long time. And when they do start to show their age you can replace the blades with a brand new set, meaning you don't have to throw the whole tool away!

3. Watering

If you're planting a new rose, you need to keep on top of the watering. This will depend on the time of year you plant, but if it is in the growing season, then water it at least every two days and give it a good soak each time.

With established plants, you can water weekly or fortnightly, depending on the weather.

You will be able to get away without watering them in most of the UK unless we have a drought.

But a really good soak intermittently can help your plants put on solid growth, leading to more flowers.

4. Mulching

When mulching roses, you can help lock in moisture, suppress weeds, and provide extra nutrition for your plants.

There are lots of different methods people like to use when it comes to mulching a rose.

Me though, I like to keep it simple and mulch with good old compost from my heap.

There are various other materials that many people will use, such as:

• Well rotted manure
• Wood chips/tree bark
• Straw
• Crushed egg shells (the shells supposedly provide calcium to the plant)

Many people swear by their mulch of choice. I recommend you experiment and find one that works well for you. This can often be as much about aesthetics as anything else.

5. Deadheading

With all flowering plants and shrubs, deadheading is a simple way to prolong your flowering season and get more blooms.

Snip off the flowers once the bloom starts to die and before it has a chance to turn to seed. This will encourage the plant to create more flowers in an effort to reproduce.