Ok, so you decide that you are going away, but you need someone to care for your roses while you are away… that’s great if they know what they are doing or know how to care for roses properly.
I have seen it many times that family have stepped in and offered to look after the garden for you. Some may think it is a case of call in, water, water a bit more just in case and then leave. And some may think what can go wrong. Let me tell you, lots can go wrong.
What I have found is this, many problems can happen when you have family members that no nothing about roses step up to look after your roses while you are away. And you are possibly thinking really, what could possibly go wrong?
Here is what can go wrong.
- Watering – Roses need water, but they shouldn’t be waterlogged or left to go thirsty. Over watered can drown your roses and underwatered can be harmful to your roses. Irregular watering can cause several issues such as root rot, yellow leaves or you may find your roses lose their leaves. And if they are left to go thirsty, this can lead to stunted growth, reduced flowering and can even cause them to start dying.
- Feeding roses the wrong way – being under fed can lead to nutrient deficiencies or they could be over- fertlised which can cause various problems for your roses. This can cause yellowing or pale leaves, poor root and stem development issues. And if you over fertilise or give them too much fertiliser it can cause leaf burn, root toxicity and you may also see fewer blooms.
If the roses are not cared for correctly, you may even seen diseases and pests causing issues for your roses.
And if they decide that the roses need a quick prune, that prune maybe done at the wrong time of the year which can cause problems especially if not done the right way.
If you are going away and need someone to care for your roses, please call me especially if you are in or around Perth. I can come and care for your roses for you and that way you will know that your roses are cared for the right way while you are away for work, or on a holiday.
John Kelly
