Watering Your Roses

How To Water Roses

But there is no doubt about it, roses really appriciate a regular supply of water. And the keyword here is regular.

During the roses first season, when the root system is getting established and the feeder roots are expanding outward underground, sufficient watering is especially critical.

When watering roses, you'll want to do deep watering, so your roses develop deep roots. Not only will this anchor the plants in place, but a deep-growing root system will help the plants survive a drought. The best time to water your roses is early in the morning so the foilage will dry out quickly.

However, overhead watering is not wise, as it will help spread fungus spores. And it is very hard to give your roses a deep soaking by overhead watering sprinklers.

In hot, dry climates the roses will need more water, while they can get by on less in cooler, more humid areas.

As a general rule of thumb, that translates into 4-5 gallons of water per plant each week.

It's better to apply water in one or two deep soakings per week than to give daily spritzers.

Drip-irrigation systems and soaker hoses are two ways to deliver water right to the soil and minimize water loss to evaporation.

This system also helps to keep the leaves dry, which discourages the development of some rose diseases.

After the rose plants have been in the ground for three or four years, they become quite drought tolerant, especially if they have been able to develop deep root systems through regular deep-waterings.

Watering your roses should be done consistently. Roses respond to a predictable watering schedule, this is even truer in drought prone areas.

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