How to correctly water your roses

The best way to water: It’s about the timing & the method

Roses need regular watering for beautiful blooms and normal healthy growth, but we can grow roses even in hotter conditions when we keep an eye on the variables we can control:

Planting them in full sunlight for gathering energy & drying quickly.
Plant in a well-amended soils for their nutrients.
Spacing them properly for air circulation.
Irrigating wisely and deeply.
Adding a 3-to-4-inch layer of healthy mulch to retain that water.

When we take these proactive steps, roses are tough, resilient plants that can even survive drought conditions.

Most rosebushes will need more frequent watering than other shrubs to keep blooming all season.

The right amount of watering will promote a healthy rose bush that will bloom over a long period each season. When the water is applied slowly and deeply — as opposed to frequent, shallow applications — it encourages the establishment of a deep root system, which promotes drought tolerance.

Watering is even essential during photosynthesis and we can measure its value in the transport of fertilizers and amendments that we add to the soil to feed our roses.

Here are the basic watering concepts for happy roses:

Roses prefer excellent drainage.

Don’t let the roots sit in wet soil.

Let the soil dry out between waterings.

Water every few days.

The actual timing depends upon weather & soil conditions.

The soil should be soaked to a depth of 10 to 12 inches.

Apply the water directly to the soil.

Over-head watering may increase disease problems.

If overhead watering is unavoidable, then water in the morning. This allows the foliage to dry quickly during the day.

Learn the basics by hand watering, but get some helpful tools later.

It is best to water as close to the base of the rose as you can.

If the water is starting to flow away from the base, stop for a moment to allow the water to soak in, then continue.

Don’t water over the flowers or foliage. Watering foliage can encourage disease problems, particularly if it remains on the leaves overnight.

Overhead sprays lose up to 50 percent of water to evaporation and also are not as precise in delivering water to each plant.

Don’t be fooled by stock pictures of folks watering roses from the top. Water only at the base . . .
Etienne The Jardiniste

I recommend a softer spray rather than any deluge from a spray nozzle or open hose.

If you like using a nozzle, try to get a fitting that has a rain setting. If you haven’t got a special fitting, make sure the pressure is not too high from your hose. When I’m in a hurry. I squeeze the hose with my other hand to control the volume & use no nozzle.

Otherwise I like wands with volume controls, like this Melnor all-metal watering wand because it can gently water right down at the base of the bush with ease.

Melnor metal water wand

This all-metal watering wand can be found at your local Home Depot

The next step: soaking hoses with a timer

For the beginning rose growers, a soaker hose winding between bushes will get you started. Hook it up to your main hose coming from the wall bib with a manual or digital timer and it should do just what you need for the first year or so without breaking the budget. That way you can buy more roses at the Rose Society sales . . .

Orbit manual hose timer

This simple watering timer can be found at Home Depot or other local hardware stores

Melnor 2 zone digital timer

This digital hose watering timer can be found at Home Depot or other local hardware stores

A 25 ft soaker hose

25 ft soaker hoses can be found in most hardware & home goods stores

A solid 50 ft garden hose

50 ft regular garden hoses can be found in most hardware & home goods stores

You can even mix the hoses if you’re handy.

Just cobble together cut sections of a heavy duty solid hose to metal couplings that allow smaller sections of soaker hose to wander through the different rose patches. Devious, but effective. Or just buy a starter drip kit, shown in the next section.

How much water is too much?

Here’s a very basic watering average by rose bush type:

Shrub roses	5 liters	1-1/3 gal
Roses in pots	5 liters	1-1/3 gal
Standard roses	10 liters	2-2/3 gal
Climbing roses	10 liters	2-2/3 gal
Rambling roses	10 liters	2-2/3 gal

This table is a starting point for the volume of water. It’s handy for calculating sprinkler system needs and how much a hose-watered rose is taking down each time you water it.

Simple sprinkler systems

Many expert rose growers that I know have installed in-ground sprinkler systems to meter out their water.

Most of the reason for underground sprinkler systems is because they have 150-300 roses in several patches spread out over 2 acres of their yards.

Some use flat-head sprayers on short risers.

These send the spray out straight, rather than up, where it can wet the foliage.

They always run them early so plants & soil will dry by midday.

Most use a drip-irrigation system with a drip-emitter line and individual drip-emitters to each bush. They are very efficient.

Below is a simplified schematic drawing of a drip system.

Starter Sprinkler kits

Starter drip irrigation kits can be found locally in your major hardware stores

No matter how you water, there is still no better way to judge the success of watering than by your eye as you are around each bush.
Sheldon Arkin, Retired 50 yr. horticulturalist , Multicare Medical Group, Tacoma WA

Over time, it’s easy to find out which bush needs more H2O than the others. I check the soil for moisture depth with my finger and water only when the soil feels dry more than 2 inches deep.

Try not to wait for visual clues, such as wilting leaves and blooms, since those are indications that the rose is already stressed.

When is watering needed the most ?

The need for watering varies greatly throughout the year and is directly related to your soil drainage and the amount of rain that has fallen.

I’d suggest the following:

October – February

You are unlikely to need water in the US or Europe.
Seasonal rains will keep the plant well watered.

March – May

Watch out for long dry spells of two weeks or more,
even if the weather is not very warm..

Newly planted roses – water every two or three days.
The extra water will help them settle into the loose soil.

Established roses – water once a week to a depth of 12 inches.

June – September

Established roses – water once a week.

Are your flowers wilting ?
This is a reliable sign that your roses need more water.

How is the leaf structure ?
Are dry to the hand like wax paper ? There’s too little water.
Do the leaves feel soggy to the hand ? It’s too much water.

Newly planted roses – water every other day.

Situations that require extra watering attention:

Newly planted roses need that extra water as they adjust.

Roses planted in sandy soil tend to drain quickly.

Pesticides: Be sure your rose bushes are well watered before the application.

Temperatures in the 90s to 110s: keep a close eye on your roses. Look for stress.

It takes no time at all for heat stress to set in. Water up in advance. Watering daily may be in order.

Roses planted in a large pot or container need extra watering. Seek out potting mixes containing peat moss, which helps to retain water, and cover the potting soil with mulch. It’s helpful to water pots deeply, rather than with quick squirts.

Watering your rose bushes by hand gives you a golden opportunity to look over each one for signs of stress. Finding insects, fungus or other problems is a head start on fixing the problem.

Climbing roses planted against walls are extra thirsty due to the dry nature of the soil in that location. Concrete, brick and mortar can each absorb some of the water you add.

Mulch around your roses to help hold in the very important soil moisture. 3-4 inches is a good level, especially in pots, which dry from all sides.

Do not forget to give your rose bushes a little water during the winter months, especially when the snowfall or rain has been little to non-existent. Winter winds can dry them out.

If the weather in your area has been dry plus windyduring any season, it is critical to water your roses and keep a very close eye on the soil moisture level. The soil moisture that is there will be quickly drawn up and out by these dessicating winds.