Keeping those rose bushes in top shape throughout the (hot) summer months is no easy feat, but with a handful of maintenance tips from our pros in lawn care in West Chester OH, it is doable. You’ll need to pay special attention to the watering schedule, maintenance work, and disease prevention. With these in mind, caring for roses in the summer is not much more difficult than caring for any other type of flowering shrub. So, let’s get started.

 

Watering Your Roses Like a Pro

To enjoy those big and long-lasting blooms, you’ll need to give your rose bushes plenty of water. The best time to water roses in the summer is early in the morning, from 6:00 to 10:00, when there is not enough sunshine to evaporate water in an instant and not too much shade to promote fungal growth.

Nevertheless, water the bushes close to the ground, avoiding spraying the foliage, to prevent the spread of diseases that thrive in damp environments. Use a soaker hose if possible as sprinklers may not miss the leaves. Add mulch close to the roots to prevent water evaporation. You can spray foliage with water to remove bugs, dust, and dirt only once or twice a week when the sun shines but is not blazing.

While they are growing, give your roses an inch of water per week. You may adjust that amount depending on the temperatures and type of soil. Sandy soils need more water as the drainage is better than that of regular soils. Too much water can literally suffocate your rose bushes – the first telltale sign is yellowing of foliage. Too little water may lead to poor bloom production and even the death of the plant in the long run. When in doubt, ask our experts in lawn care in West Chester OH for help. We have a dedicated tree & shrub maintenance service just for it.

Pruning Roses in the Summer

The best time to prune your roses is while they’re dormant or immediately after they came back to life in spring. However, giving them a nice trim in the summer months can ensure that you get a spectacular late-season bloom. Still, there’s always the risk of pruning your rose bushes wrong.

During summer months, do not trim the rose bush’s green canes as you risk of forcing the sap to leak out, devitalizing the plant, and boosting its risk of disease and early death. Focus solely on dead blooms, dead wood, and foliage (if you absolutely need to re-shape the bush). Resort to heavy trimming only when the plant is still dormant.

Ask our Experts in Lawn Care in West Chester OH for Help

If you don’t have a green thumb and feel that your neglected rose bushes need a pair of professional hands (or maybe two) to turn their life around, don’t hesitate to contact our experts in tree and shrub maintenance in your area.

Our technicians can do the pruning and fertilization work for you, can teach you some things on rose disease prevention, and help save struggling plants if needed. In the meanwhile, the trees on your property can benefit from some professional attention too. We’ve been in the landscape build, design, and maintenance for two decades, but don’t take our word for it. Request a Free Estimate of our tree & shrub maintenance services today!