In case your home is in an area where spring arrives in late March or early April, you can easily take advantage of the “early spring” for your rose gardening endeavors. Of course, if late March or early April makes the skiers in your area to come out, then you better wait till the winter paves way for the spring and then follow the tips mentioned here.

For rose gardeners, early spring means time for hectic activity. This is the time when you expect those wonderful rose buds to appear. But you have to prepare the roses for the growing season ahead. Here are some useful tips on how to:

Rose bushes could have been covered with dirt or such protective materials. The first thing you ought to do is to gently remove the protective coverings, so that the bushes can experience the warm sun and the occasional rain during this time.

Before you do any pruning to the bushes, make sure to remove all the dead canes, which could not take the winter. Clear the bush area of all debris, fallen leaves etc and clean the surroundings.

Next you should add some nutrients to the soil, like organic compounds. You can either buy packaged material from your garden supplier, or make it yourself by mixing composted manure or mushroom compost. You could also use the usual blends of meals consisting of alfalfa, cotton seed, fish or blood meal.

Since roses need a very well-drained soil, make sure that water does not remain stagnant under the bushes. If you notice that winter has made the soil compact, use a spade or any other tool to break the compacted soil.

Once you have prepared the soil, you can extend your gardening activities during this time. You can even plant your container-grown roses here.

The next activity is spraying the fungicide. You could also wait for two weeks after the pruning is complete. Opinions on the best time differ so take your pick as to the most convenient time for doing this.

You must keep rotating the fungicide. Using the same product can make the fungus develop immunity to that particular fungicide.

It is recommended not to use any pesticide, unless you notice some real damage to your plants. But remember aphids mean that spring is here. Watch out for them. You can use a sharp spray of water to wash them away or apply an insecticide in a mister to the damaged parts.

Just like when we wake up from a long slumber and feel ravenously hungry, roses are no different either! Feed them well during this season with nutrition to wake them up properly from the winter slumber and water them adequately after each feed.

So! your roses are ready to face the spring. But your work is not over yet. If spring is here, how far can summer be? continue reading our May/June article, to learn how to cope with the summer months.