How to Care for Roses: A Guide for Every Type

Roses are one of the most rewarding plants to grow, offering beautiful blooms, wonderful fragrance, and classic elegance in any garden. However, different types of roses have different care needs. Some of them more than others (looking at you Hybrid Teas). Whether you’re growing Grandiflora Roses for cutting, Shrub Roses for landscaping, or Climbing Roses for vertical interest, this guide will help you keep your roses healthy and thriving.

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Hybrid Tea Roses

Elegant Blooms for Classic Beauty

Hybrid tea roses are the most popular roses for cut flowers, prized for their large, perfectly formed blooms on long stems. They require consistent care but reward gardeners with stunning, repeat blooms throughout the season.

Care Tips:

• Sunlight: Full sun (6-8 hours per day).
  
  
• Watering: Deeply water 2-3 times per week, ensuring the moisture reaches the roots. Avoid overhead watering to prevent disease.
  
  
• Pruning: Prune in early spring before new growth starts. Cut back canes to about 12-18 inches above the ground, removing dead or weak stems.
  
  
• Fertilizing:
  
  • Apply Espoma Rose-Tone a Rose Fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during the growing season.
  • Use a balanced liquid fertilizer (such as Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster) for extra growth mid-season.
    
    
• Pest & Disease Prevention:
  
  • Prevent black spot and powdery mildew by spraying with BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control every few weeks.
  • Watch for aphids and treat them with Neem oil or Insecticidal Soap if needed.

✔ Deadhead regularly to encourage continuous blooms.

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Floribunda Roses

Clusters of Colorful Blooms for a Showy Display

Floribunda roses bloom in clusters, producing smaller but more abundant flowers than hybrid teas. They are low-maintenance, cold-hardy, and excellent for continuous color.

Care Tips:

• Sunlight: Full sun (6+ hours per day).
  
  
• Watering: Keep soil evenly moist, especially during dry spells. Water deeply at the base of the plant.
  
  
• Pruning: Cut back by one-third in early spring to shape and remove deadwood.
  
  
• Fertilizing:
  
  • Use a slow-release like Osmocote early spring and/or when you first plant.
  • Use a balanced liquid fertilizer (such as Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster) for extra growth mid-season.
    
    
• Pest & Disease Prevention:
  
  • Prevent black spot and powdery mildew by spraying with BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control.
  • Watch for aphids and treat them with Neem oil or Insecticidal Soap if needed.

✔ Deadhead entire flower clusters to encourage repeat blooming.

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Grandiflora Roses

Tall and Stately with Show-Stopping Blooms

Grandiflora roses combine the best of hybrid tea and floribunda roses, featuring large, elegant blooms on taller, more vigorous plants. They are excellent for cutting and make a bold statement in the garden.

Care Tips:

• Sunlight: Full sun (6-8 hours per day).
• Watering: Deep watering once or twice per week to encourage deep root growth.
• Pruning: In early spring, cut back to 18-24 inches, removing deadwood and weak canes.
• Fertilizing:
  
  • Use Espoma Rose-Tone or another Rose Food every 4-6 weeks.
  • Apply Epsom salts (1 tablespoon per gallon of water) once per month to strengthen canes.
• Pest & Disease Prevention:
  
  • Watch for Japanese beetles and apply Japanese Beetle Killer or Neem oil at the first sign.
  • Use BioAdvance 3-in-1 to prevent both insects and disease systemically

✔ Deadhead regularly to promote reblooming.

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Climbing Roses

Vertical Beauty for Trellises and Arbors

Climbing roses feature long, flexible canes that can be trained along trellises, arbors, fences, or walls. Unlike other roses, these require strategic pruning to encourage upward growth and maximize flowering.

Care Tips:

• Sunlight: Full sun (6+ hours per day).
• Watering: Water deeply once a week at the base to encourage strong roots.
• Pruning:
  
  • In early spring, remove deadwood but avoid cutting back main canes.
  • After the first bloom cycle, prune lightly to shape and remove spent blooms.
• Fertilizing:
  
  • Use Rose-Tone Organic Rose Fertilizer every 6 weeks.
  • Apply kelp or fish emulsion in early spring to encourage strong cane growth.
• Pest & Disease Prevention:
  
  • Prevent fungal issues by spacing canes apart for good airflow
  • Treat aphids and spider mites with Neem oil

✔ Deadhead to encourage more flowers, but avoid heavy pruning.

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Shrub Roses

Low-Maintenance Beauty for Every Garden

Shrub roses are hardy, disease-resistant, and ideal for landscapes. They bloom in flushes throughout the season with minimal care.

Care Tips:

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade.
• Watering: Deep water once a week, adjusting based on rainfall.
• Pruning: Minimal pruning needed—just remove dead or weak branches in early spring.
• Fertilizing:
  
  • Apply slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring (Osmocote Flower & Vegetable works well).
  • Side-dress with compost for natural feeding.
• Pest & Disease Prevention:
  
  • Prevent black spot and powdery mildew by spraying with BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control.
  • Most shrub roses are disease-resistant, but still check for aphids or Japanese beetles
  • If needed, treat with Insecticidal Soap

✔ Minimal deadheading required, as many varieties are self-cleaning.

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Miniature Roses

Small in Size, Big on Beauty

Miniature roses are perfect for containers, small spaces, and indoor gardening. Despite their size, they bloom profusely and require the same care as full-size roses.

Care Tips:

• Sunlight: Full sun (at least 6 hours per day).
• Watering: Water daily in summer or install micro irrigation, as container soil dries out faster.
• Pruning: Trim lightly to maintain shape and remove spent blooms.
• Fertilizing:
  
  • Use Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food every 4-6 weeks for potted roses.
  • If planted, apply Espoma Rose-Tone or Rose Food in early spring.
• Pest & Disease Prevention:
  
  • Keep leaves dry to prevent mildew.
  • Prevent black spot and powdery mildew by spraying with BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control.

✔ Deadhead regularly to keep blooms coming.

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Groundcover Roses

Spreading Beauty and Easy Color

Groundcover roses grow low and wide, creating carpets of blooms. They're highly disease-resistant and excellent for slopes, borders, and hard-to-maintain spaces.

Care Tips:

• Sunlight: Full sun (at least 6 hours daily)
• Watering: Water deeply during dry periods but allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings
  Pruning: Minimal pruning—just trim to shape in early spring and remove dead stems
• Fertilizing: Feed in spring and again in midsummer if blooms slow
• Pest & Disease Prevention: Rarely an issue, but inspect for aphids and clean out dense patches to prevent mildew
  
  

✔ Minimal or no deadheading needed—many varieties bloom semi-continuously on their own

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English Roses (David Austin Types)

Romantic, Fragrant Blooms with Old-World Charm

English roses combine the look and fragrance of old garden roses with the repeat-flowering habit of modern varieties. They’re perfect for cottage gardens, mixed borders, or cutting.

Care Tips:

• Sunlight: Full sun (some tolerate light afternoon shade)
• Watering: Deeply water once or twice weekly, especially in hot weather
• Pruning: Prune in late winter or early spring to shape and encourage flowering
• Fertilizing: Apply an organic rose fertilizer in early spring and again after the first bloom flush
• Pest & Disease Prevention: Maintain airflow and remove spent blooms and diseased leaves promptly to reduce the risk of black spot or rust
  
  

✔ Deadhead after flushes to encourage repeat blooming

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Growing Healthy, Happy Roses

By selecting the right fertilizer, maintaining proper watering, and staying on top of pruning, your roses will reward you with gorgeous blooms all season long. 

Ready to grow the perfect rose? Come see us today!

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