At this time of year when cooler Spring mornings can deceive us into thinking that there are adequate moisture levels in the soil, we need to be vigilant with watering the roses, especially new rose plants. And with the warmer weather fast approaching now is also a good time to revisit your established irrigation system in the rose garden.
Be sure to do a visual check on each dripper or spray outlet. They can get clogged with ants, soil and calcium buildup, and need to be regularly maintained to be effective. If parts of it are not working, consider adding a sprayer or extra drippers to supplement the water supply to your plants.
If you haven’t yet set up an irrigation system, there are a couple we recommend. Drip systems offer the chance of placing a small bubbler near the root system of the roses and is highly effective in delivering water directly to the roses. While it delivers to the roses, it may not adequately water any other plants close to the roses such as groundcovers or perennials.
The other option is to have an ‘overhead’ spray system – choose a larger style sprinkler that will deliver raindrop size water, reach further and water the whole bed. The drawback is that the water spray will fall on the rose plants and leaves, with the potential for developing fungal disease. This can be minimised by watering first thing in the morning.
Deep soakings should be at least once a week for up to two hours depending on the rate of application. It’s important that whatever system you choose, enough water needs to get to the plant – after a deep soak, dig a spades height into the soil near the rose to ensure it is moist and if not, keep watering!
(Image below: Brian shows how long rose roots can be - That's why deep watering is so important)
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