As part of our series of guests post here is another one from our local expert Hinal Kale. She has been growing Roses and keeping them alive for years here in the Gulf. We all know how hard that is. Here are her tips and tricks
Growing roses and seeing the beautiful blooms in your garden is a matter of pride for any gardener!
However, growing roses here, in the UAE, could be challenging. So let me share a few pointers which have helped me grow roses in my garden.
Care for Roses:
Roses love full sun but with a cool breeze. They cannot tolerate hot air. Therefore they do very well in our winters.
Roses must be watered fully and well. You can water fully every alternate day. A little watering every day must be avoided as only the topsoil is watered and the water doesn’t reach the roots which are deep.
Acidic soil is what roses thrive in and the soil here, in the UAE, tends to be alkaline. So when growing roses one must try to make the soil around roses less alkaline. Tea water could help here.
Roses can be grown directly in the ground or in pots. Different gardeners here have shared the pros & cons of growing roses in the ground and in pots. If growing them in the ground then remember to choose a good spot preferably against a wall; to protect against blasts of hot air in summers. The main advantage of growing in the ground is the large space that roses love. Once established well in the ground, the chances of the plant surviving our summers are high. The disadvantage of growing in the ground is that you can’t move the rose to a shadier area over the harsh summers! Whereas if grown in a pot, that’ll be possible then. Remember that roses like space so choose medium to big sized pots for growing them.
Pruning and deadheading the dried flowers are important for the roses to flourish. I usually prune my roses around May/June and in October.
Another point to remember is that roses are heavy feeders and like high potassium-based fertilizers. Some occasional feeds of high Phosphorus is also recommended to boost bloom production.
You can use Vermicompost, Epsom salts, bonemeal, cow manure, Chicken manure, goat manure, bunny manure, home compost, and coffee grounds as organic fertilizers for roses.
A few applications of chemical fertilizers are also needed to boost flower production. A few brands available here are Norus, Phostrogen, DAP etc.
Lastly a few important tips to remember:
In summers, hide the roses from gushes of hot air and hot pipe water. Keep in corners or under the shade of trees.
If in the ground then cover with green nets during summer months.
Also, no pruning must be done from June to September.
Regularly feed the roses.
Use fungicide or pesticide whenever required.
Having said all of the above, I must admit that Roses aren’t easy to grow in our climate and can get temperamental. But we keep trying and get better at growing them.
Article and pictures courtesy: Hinal Kale
I would like to add here that sprinkling cinnamon powder around the roots and watering with Rice Washed Water is also helpful for bigger and better blooms.
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