Watering Roses
One thing all rose gardeners agree on is that you can't give a rose
too much water. Rose foliage will wilt if there is insufficient
moisture, and during the growing season rose leaves should always he
turgid. Moisture should be retained by the soil, and at the same time
drainage should be excellent so that the roots are not standing in
water.
Watering Roses in the Garden
It's difficult to prescribe how much or how often to water roses in the
garden. The frequency of watering as well as the amount depend on soil
type, climate, and the growth stage of the rose. More water is needed
when the soil is loose and sandy, when the air is hot and dry, or when
the roses are newly planted.
Be particularly attentive to a newly planted rose if spring is unusually
warm or early. The root system may not have developed enough to provide
sufficient moisture to the growing foliage, which is stimulated by the
warmth of the sun.
Normally a rose should receive 1 to 2 inches of water per week, all at
one time, starting in early spring and continuing through fall. Hot and
dry weather may make it necessary to wa ter every three or four days.
Porous soils benifit from additional deep soakings.
There are several ways to water roses. The method you choose may depend
on where you live, the size of your garden, the need to conserve water,
and other factors. Many rose gardeners use drip irrigation; others
prefer underground sprinklers; and still others water by hand.
The most efficient watering method is drip, or low-volume, irrigation,
which applies water slowly without runoff. You can place one drip
emitter on each side of a rosebush, use manufactured drip collars, or
fashion your own collars with perforated drip tubing or tubing joined
together with in-line emitters.
Some rose gardeners prefer conventional spray heads because the streams
of water directed up onto the leaves disturb spider mites, which live on
the undersides of leaves. Although low-volume minisprays apply water
more economically, they don't do as good a job of getting water up into
the foliage. If you are wetting the foliage, do it in the early morning
so that the leaves will dry before evening.
Bubbler attachments on hoses are popular with gardeners who water by
hand. Water floods into basins formed around the rosebushes and slowly
soaks into the soil. The bubbler attachment prevents a strong stream
from eroding the soil or splashing dirt or mulch on the foliage. (Some
gardeners with underground sprinkler systems use bubbler heads to
accomplish the same task more conveniently.)
Whichever method you use, be sure to water deeply, soaking the soil to a
depth of 16 to 18 inches. A light sprinkling is worse than no water at
all. Frequent light applications result in a shallow root system that
will not physically support the plant and will require continued
frequent waterings. Lightly watered plants are also more susceptible to
injury from cultivation and to fertilizer burn.
If you're not sure how deep water is penetrating, apply water for a
measured period of time and then dig down near the roots and measure the
depth to which the soil is damp. If the soil is damp to a depth of only
8 inches, for example, you'll probably have to water about twice as long
as you did.
Watering Roses in Containers
Ample watering is even more critical for container plants because they
have much less soil from which to draw moisture. A rose that lacks
moisture will be stunted, and if it goes without sufficient water often
or for a long period, it will die. Check the amount of moisture deep in
the pot at least every couple of days during the summer and every day
when the weather is very hot or windy.
Wood, plastic, and glazed pottery containers lose less moisture to the
surrounding air than do unglazed pots. Placing the container inside
another will insulate it and reduce moisture loss. Be sure the outside
container has drainage holes so that the roots are not standing in
water.
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