Shrub
How to grow roses
Rosa cultivars
Plant roses in full sun in deep, fertile soil that holds moisture, ideally as bare-root plants between November and March. Prune bush and shrub roses in late February or March, feed in late March and again after the first flush of flowers, and mulch every spring. Choose disease-resistant modern varieties and you avoid most of the black spot and mildew that give roses their reputation for hard work.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
- Position
- Full sun (6+ hrs), open but sheltered
- Soil
- Deep, fertile, moisture-retentive, free-draining; thrives on clay-loam
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 7.0
- Water
- Moderate to high in the first two summers; deep soaks, not sprinkles
- Feeding
- Heavy feeder
Sowing and planting roses
WhenPlant bare-root Nov to Mar; prune Feb to Mar; flowers Jun to Oct (repeat types)
Starting off
Plant bare-root Nov to Mar into a hole with a spadeful of garden compost, never fresh manure touching the roots; pot-grown plants go in any month if kept watered. Hardwood cuttings 20 to 25 cm long taken Oct to Nov and pushed two-thirds deep into a slit trench root by the following autumn.
Spacing and planting
Hybrid teas and floribundas 45 to 60 cm apart, shrub roses 90 to 120 cm, climbers 2 to 3 m along a wall; dig a hole 40 cm square and deep and set the graft union 2 to 3 cm below the surface. Patio and miniature roses are fine in a 40 cm pot of loam-based compost.
Varieties worth growing
- Gertrude Jekyll
- Pink English shrub rose with the strongest old-rose scent of the group; repeats well and takes some shade.
- Iceberg
- White floribunda that flowers from June to the frosts and shrugs off most weather. The hedge rose.
- Graham Thomas
- Yellow English shrub, vigorous and healthy, can be trained as a short climber.
- Zéphirine Drouhin
- Thornless Bourbon climber that flowers on a north wall; prone to black spot, so feed and mulch it well.
- Flower Carpet Pink
- Ground-cover rose with real disease resistance; masses of flower, no fuss, good in a large pot.
Roses month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
Plant bare-root roses in unfrozen ground. Order from specialist nurseries now.
- February
Main prune in the second half of the month in the south: bush roses to 15 to 30 cm, shrub roses by a third.
- March
Prune in the north. First feed of Rose Feed 5-3-5 and alfalfa at the end of the month, then a 5 cm mulch.
- April
Watch for greenfly on new shoots. Tie in climbers horizontally.
- May
Water new plantings weekly. Spray soft soap for aphids if needed.
- June
First flush. Deadhead to the first full leaf. Pick up any black-spotted leaves.
- July
Second feed of Rose Feed after the first flush. Deep water in drought.
- August
Keep deadheading. No more feeding after the end of the month.
- September
Last flowers on repeat types. Take hardwood cuttings towards the end of the month.
- October
Clear fallen leaves. Hardwood cuttings in a slit trench.
- November
Shorten tall stems by a third to stop wind-rock. Plant bare-root.
- December
Plant bare-root in open weather. Check stakes and ties.
Feeding roses
A heavy feeder, but two well-timed doses beat a dozen small ones. As much potash as nitrogen, and nothing after August.
A hungry plant, a balanced rose feed (potassium for blooms, nitrogen for growth) in spring and again at midsummer, on top of a generous organic mulch.
Feeding plan
Late March
80 to 100 g per m² (a generous double handful per bush); climbers 90 to 110 g, miniatures 50 to 65 g. Scatter round the drip line and hoe in.
Late March, with the feed
75 to 100 g per bush, then a 5 cm mulch of compost over the top.
After the first flush, late June or July
The same dose again. A third in late July is optional for repeat-flowering types in a wet year.
Pots
80 to 100 g per m² of compost surface in late March and again after the first flush; a 40 cm pot has about 0.13 m² of surface, so 10 to 12 g each time.
Older leaves yellow between the veins
Kieserite (magnesium sulphate)
30 to 50 g per bush in spring, watered in; or 2 g per litre as a drench for a quick fix.
Planting
5 g per litre of root-ball volume on the bare roots, which also helps where a rose grew before.
Signs to watch
Older leaves yellow between green veins
Magnesium short, often after heavy potash feeding
Epsom salts at 20 g per litre as a foliar spray, or kieserite to the soil
Young leaves yellow with green veins on chalk
Lime-induced iron chlorosis
Chelated iron, sulphur and an acidic mulch
Lush growth, few flowers
Excess nitrogen
Sulphate of potash only
Pests, diseases and problems
Black blotches with feathery edges on leaves, which yellow and drop from June
Black spot, a fungus that overwinters on fallen leaves and stems
Pick up and bin every fallen leaf, mulch thickly in spring to bury spores, water at the base, keep potash up, prune out spotted stems in winter, and choose resistant varieties.
Green or pink insects massed on buds and shoot tips
Greenfly (aphids)
Run a finger and thumb up the stem, spray potassium soft soap on heavy infestations, and plant open single flowers nearby to feed hoverflies.
White powder on young leaves and buds, leaves crumpled
Powdery mildew in dry soil and humid air, worst on walls
Water deeply and mulch, prune to open the bush, avoid high nitrogen, remove worst shoots.
Orange pustules under leaves in summer, black by autumn
Rose rust
Remove affected leaves at once, clear fallen leaves, improve air flow; it rarely kills but weakens.
Leaves rolled tightly along their length like a cigar
Leaf-rolling sawfly
Pick off and bin rolled leaves; the larvae inside cannot survive. Cosmetic only.
New rose sulks and stays stunted where an old rose grew
Rose replant disease (soil sickness)
Change the soil in a 60 cm hole or plant somewhere else, and dust the roots with mycorrhizal fungi powder at planting.
Pruning
Pruning and care
Deadhead repeat-flowerers to the first full leaf and shorten tall stems by a third in Nov to stop wind-rock.
Good to knowPrune in late winter; deadhead repeat-flowering types to keep blooms coming; mulch to lock in moisture.
Growing roses in pots
Patio, miniature and the smaller English shrub roses do well in a 40 to 50 cm pot of loam-based (John Innes No. 3) compost; climbers and big shrubs do not. Plant with the graft union just below the surface. Water deeply twice a week from May, daily in July heat, and feed as above. Top-dress with 5 cm of fresh compost every March and repot every three years, trimming the roots by a fifth. Stand the pot on feet over winter so it never sits in water.
Roses: common questions
When is the best time to feed roses?
Late March as the buds break, and again after the first flush of flowers in late June or July. Nothing after August, because soft late growth is damaged by frost and invites black spot.
What is the best fertiliser for roses?
One with at least as much potassium as nitrogen, plus magnesium: potash firms the stems and lifts flower colour, nitrogen alone gives leaf and greenfly. A 5-3-5 rose feed with an alfalfa mulch covers both.
Why are my rose leaves turning yellow?
Old lower leaves yellowing between green veins in summer is magnesium, often after heavy potash feeding: use kieserite or Epsom salts. New leaves yellow with green veins on chalky soil is iron lock-up. Yellow leaves with black spots are black spot. Yellowing after a dry spell is drought.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.