Botanical Name | Rosa |
Family | Rosaceae |
Type | Garden Plant |
Position | Roses are hardy plants. Roses prefer a slightly acidic soil. |
Care | Roses need plenty of light and ventilation. Roses may be planted at any time they are dormant - in Europe, this could be November to March. Autumn planting is best. |
Watering | Keep the soil reasonably moist in spring and autumn. Roses tolerate lime and will not be harmed by fairly hard tap water. |
Repotting | Best done in autumn. Second choice spring. |
Propagation | Professional growers propagate roses through grafting. |
Pest and diseases | The most serious disease affecting rose is rose rust, which is a type of rust fungus that defoliate the plant. Rose black spot, caused by the fungus Diplocarpon rosae, causes circular black spots on the leaves. For fungal diseases, prevention is better than cure, and can be avoided by regular spraying of fungicide. Aphids are the main insect pest of rose plants. The natural predator of aphids are ladybirds, so this should be encouraged to thrive in a rose garden. |