As we head further into autumn, many gardeners and floral lovers will want to keep their homes and gardens blooming with plants and flowers alike. But, how should you grow and care for your flowers, such as roses, in the colder months?
Roses are one of the most popular flowers to have in the home and garden, and one of the most common flowers to share with loved ones – in fact, over 220 million roses are sold every Valentine’s Day alone!
The great thing about roses is that they can be planted at any time in the year, and autumn and late winter can be the most ideal time to start – increasing the chance of the roses blooming within the first year. This is because the flower is in its ‘dormant phase’ and gives the flowers’ roots the perfect time to properly grow and establish.
It’s recommended not to plant these during the middle of the winter however, as the ground will most likely be frozen, stopping the flower from getting the valuable nutrients it so desperately needs.
Keeping up with regular maintenance is key to enjoying your roses for as long as possible, and it’s important to not neglect them. As such, flower and gift delivery service, Eflorist, have shared 6 techniques to help your roses thrive throughout the colder months.
- Change the water in your vase, and remove any leaves
For indoor roses, be sure to change the water in your vase at least once every 2-3 days. This keeps the water fresh, and clear of any bacteria lurking in the water that could harm the flowers.
It’s equally as important to remove any leaves lying below the waterline in your vase, as these can rot over time, and create bacteria that can kill the roses quickly.
But besides your normal maintenance routine, there are a few different hacks you could try to prolong the lifespan of your roses in a vase.
- Try the sugar hack
The sugar hack is a quick and easy method to keep your roses alive – and is something most people will already have in their cupboards at home.
To do this hack, simply add 2 teaspoons of sugar into your vase of water, and give it a little stir, as the sugar will give the flowers all the nutrients they need to maintain their health and growth.
Once you change the water in the vase, add another 2 teaspoons into the fresh water to keep up with the nourishment of your roses.
This hack also works for all other flowers, so is a great hack to use if your flowers need some extra nutrition.
- Or, try the bleach hack
If you don’t have any sugar, there’s another common household item you could try – bleach.
Although this hack may seem a bit unusual, adding ¼ teaspoon of bleach to your vase of flowers is a great way to keep your roses fresh as the bleach helps to kill off any bacteria that could be lurking in the water – keeping your roses healthier for longer.
- Water your outdoor roses often
Caring for your flowers outdoors is equally – if not more – important than your flowers indoors. For outdoor roses, it’s important that you water them every 3 days or so.
In the colder months, when it tends to rain more often, you can extend this cycle to water your roses only once per week – but on really rainy days, there may be no need to water them yourself at all. If you’re unsure if they need more water, check the moisture of the soil with your fingers to see if they need some.
Flowers and plants, like us humans, need water to survive, so ensuring that you water them adequately is something you should never forget.
- Deadhead your roses
Deadheading your roses will help them to continue blooming, and the best time to do this is from late spring to early autumn when they start to fade slightly – so for those who have well established roses, and haven’t deadheaded them, now’s the time!
To do this, remove any blooms that are wilted or brown first by cutting around ¼ of an inch above the new leaf or flower bud. You can also use your fingers to pinch these off, or use some scissors for a more precise cut.
By removing these wilted flowers, it allows for new blooms to grow, which keeps the health of your rose bush in top quality condition throughout the season.
- Prune your outdoor roses
Winter is the best time of year to prune your roses – providing them with the strongest growth for the rest of the year.
To prune your roses properly, make clean cuts that slope downwards around ¼ inch above the bud, and cut to an outward-facing bud to encourage an open-centred shape. For spreading roses, prune some stems to inward-facing buds to encourage upright growth.
It’s recommended to use gardening gloves for this, just in case of any thorns.
