7 Rose Gardening Mistakes to Avoid

• Lack of sunshine: Roses are sunbathers and need 6+ hours of sunlight per day to produce their beautiful blooms.  

• Poorly-draining soil: While roses love a good drink of water, they don’t want to be standing in it! Use a loose, sandy loam to allow the excess moisture to drain out and prevent root rot. If you haven’t been blessed with well-draining soil anywhere in your garden, you can loosen it up with compost and organic matter. 

• Poor air circulation: Avoid overcrowding to let your roses breathe and give their roots some legroom – allowing them to spread out and encouraging healthy growth.  

• Fall: If you live in a mild climate, it’s still possible to plant a new rose in early fall. However, your rose won’t have as much time to establish itself before going to sleep for the winter.  

• Summer: If you’re too busy to plant a new rose in the spring or fall, it’s okay to do so in the summer. Just be aware you’ll have some extra watering to do to keep your rose hydrated and helpt it withstand the summer heat. 

• Winter: Unless you live in a very warm climate, we do not recommend planting a new rose in the winter. If roses don’t have enough time to establish before entering dormancy, the cold temperatures may damage their roots. 

• Increasing frequency: Deeply, but infrequently – that’s the secret to watering success. Don’t make the mistake of watering your roses several times in a day. Of course they need to retain water, but they also need time to dry out. Excess moisture can cause root rot. Water your newly-planted rose 2-3 times a week until fully established.  

• Overhead watering: This mistake can cause excess moisture buildup on the foliage – leading to fungal infection. Protect your roses from disease by watering at the base of the plant instead of from above. 

• Watering late in the day: The best time of day to water your roses is early in the morning. This gives their roots time to dry out a little throughout the day – preventing excess moisture. 

• Pruning too late or too early: The best time to prune your roses is in late winter or early spring – just after the last frost in your area. Pruning too early can cause new growth to be damaged or killed by the cold. 

• Using dull tools: Whichever tool you decide to use to prune your roses, make sure the blade is razor sharp to avoid damaging the canes.  

• Making the wrong cut: To prevent moisture from pooling on the canes and buds of your rose, make your cut at a 45-degree angle. Cut just above an outward-facing bud to encourage growth away from the center of your rose – promoting good air circulation. 

• Not removing debris: Failing to clean up dead or fallen foliage surrounding your rose can provide a breeding ground for fungal disease – such as black spot. 

Head over to our Winter Rose Care Guide to learn the proper way to prune your roses so that they’ll produce beautiful, healthy blooms for the spring season. 

• Leaving fallen debris in place: Diseases such as black spot can jump up from dead foliage on the ground onto your roses. 

• Improper pesticide application: Always read the instructions on the label to avoid misapplication and further damage.  

• Using unsterilized tools: Failure to clean your pruners before each use can result in the spread of disease – especially if pruning several rose bushes.  

• Reduced flowering 

• Loss of foliage  

• Greater need for fungicide use