How to water rose bushes the right way for more beautiful blooms

Give these beautiful flowers the hydration they need.

Key Points

• Proper watering is essential for healthy rose bushes and ensures vibrant, beautiful blooms in your garden.
• Water roses deeply and thoroughly, preferably in the morning, to encourage strong roots and prevent fungal diseases.
• Choose a watering method—like drip irrigation, soaker hoses, or handheld wands—based on your garden size and needs.

A rose bush can be the cornerstone of your garden or landscape. Helping it thrive depends on one all-important factor: water. There are many ways to water these plants, of course, but which method is the best? And how often should you water them?

Ahead, we spoke to experts about how to water rose bushes the right way in order to achieve the best results in your garden.

Meet Our Expert

• Eva Monheim, ISA-certified arborist and author of Shrubs & Hedges
• Kate Walz, horticulturist, garden consultant, and owner of KW Garden Design

Related: How to Grow and Care for Knock Out Roses—the Easiest Bush to Plant in Your Garden

Watering Methods

There are many ways to water your roses depending on how quickly you’d like the job done, the size of your rose beds, and how much automation you’d like.

• Drip irrigation: Once installed, this can save time, though it’s most practical for large landscapes or if you need to water multiple rose bushes.
• Soaker hose: These are faster to set up than drip irrigation, and can save you time—all you have to do is turn on the water and walk away.
• Handheld wand: For direct control of your watering, a handheld wand at the end of a hose can be very effective—especially for directing the water exactly where you’d like it to go.
• Watering can: Watering cans work well, especially if you have only a limited number of roses.
• Rainfall: Of course, you can’t control the weather, but if you’re receiving adequate rainfall, then it may be sufficient for your rose bushes at certain times of year.

How to Water

Watering roses isn’t difficult, but the proper technique can help you get the best results. For container roses, simply water until you see the water coming out of the bottom of the pot. “Once you know how long it takes, use that same number for all your container plants in the same size pots,” says Eva Monheim, certified arborist and author. Whether you’re watering with a watering can or using a soaker hose, the same methodology applies.

Best Time to Water

You’ll have good results if you can get out to the garden and water thoroughly before noon. “Roses, like most plants in the garden, should be watered early in the morning,” says horticulturist Kate Walz. “Cooler temperatures mean less water is lost to evaporation, allowing more moisture to soak into the soil.”

She notes that morning watering also gives any moisture on the leaves time to dry quickly, reducing the risk of fungal diseases.

How Often to Water

Even more important than frequency of watering is thoroughness. “Frequent and shallow watering is less than ideal for roses or any plants in garden beds or in containers,” says Monheim. “Watering deep down will encourage roots to grow downwards rather than staying near the surface of the soil. Short, shallow watering encourages the roots to grow towards the top of the soil, and they are vulnerable to drying out quicker.”

She notes that shrub roses are typically more forgiving with their watering requirements. “If we have prolonged dry spells, that is when watering is recommended,” she says. “A deep long watering done once a week is preferred over short, shallow watering.”

How Much to Water

Roses require a certain amount of moisture to help them thrive. “Established roses generally need about 1 to 2 inches of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation, with more during periods of extreme heat, or when they’re growing in sandy soils,” says Walz.

Rose Varieties

The type of rose is another factor in watering. Three varieties that may require somewhat less watering include:

• Swamp roses (Rosa palustris): A tall and low-maintenance bog rose with showy flowers and rose hips, “[swamp roses] are perfect to plant towards the base of a rain garden,” says Monheim. “They rarely need watering unless we are dealing with drought conditions.”
• Virginia roses (Rosa virginiana): Another variety that doesn’t need a great deal of watering. “Virginia rose can handle dry soils and salty conditions,” says Monheim. “The flowers are pink, simple, and fragrant.” Occasional watering may be needed, but Monheim says you’ll know when this happens, as they’ll begin to flag or dry out.
• Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa): “This is a tough rose that can handle all sorts of locations and do well in salty environments,” says Monheim. “These do not need a great deal of watering. They are also called the beach rose, where they are perfectly at home in the windy, salty, misty air.”

Read the original article on Martha Stewart