Discover Debi Holland’s simple and effective ways to keep your roses healthy and blooming all summer. Learn how to deadhead properly, tackle black spot organically, control pests like aphids, and even tie in stems with a surprising household item.
Rose care made easy
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Here are some simple ways to keep your roses healthy and blooming through summer.
Deadhead and tidy the stems. Use clean, sharp snips and disinfect them before use. Spend a few minutes cutting off faded blooms. Remove dead, diseased or damaged material and cut dead stems back to healthy growth.
Watch for rose black spot. Pick off affected leaves where practical and clear fallen leaves from around the rose. Dispose of them away from your home compost. This can help reduce the source of spores, which spread in water. See the RHS guide to rose black spot.
Check for pests. Wipe off small clusters of aphids with a damp cloth. If you use a product such as Richard Jackson’s Protect & Nourish, follow its label. Large green rose chafer beetles may nibble petals, but usually do little damage, so I leave them alone.
Support, water and feed. Cut up old tights to make soft, stretchy ties for stems that need support. Water well in dry spells and feed with a suitable rose or flowering-plant feed. I use Richard Jackson’s Flower Power.
