Roses need a little TLC. I know Van Wilgen’s gardeners are dedicated to giving their plants the very best care and we at Van Wilgen’s are here to help. Let’s start at the very beginning, from the day you bring your new, thorny family member home from Van Wilgen’s. Everyone works hard to keep our roses in tip-top shape so they go happily from our garden to your garden.

TLC Tip #1: Water! Container roses here at Van Wilgen’s are watered every day. You need to do the same, especially if you cannot plant your new rose right away. Once roses are planted in the ground, you need to continue watering. 3X’s per week is a good rule of thumb. Set your hose or soaker hose at the base of the rose at a slow trickle. This will give your roses a deep root soaking. Slow & steady wins the race in the case of watering.

TLC Tip #2: Plant! Plant your rose with Jump Start. Jump Start is an excellent root stimulant. Mixed with water and poured all over the root ball, the high phosphorus and B vitamins in Jump Start push root growth to help your rose establish itself more rapidly and reduce transplant shock. Amend your soil with Van Wilgen’s Premium Planting Mix and we will warranty your rose for 1 year.

TLC Tip #3: Fertilize! Approximately one week after planting your new rose plant, follow up with Rose-Tone by Espoma. It provides your roses with an organic, slow-release feed, they will gobble up. Continue to feed your beautiful roses every month through September.

TLC Tip #4: Mulch! Mulch is marvelous for roses. It helps hold in precious moisture that roses need and keeps weeds from stealing the rose’s nutrients but don’t put the mulch right up to the canes. Give them a little breathing room.

TLC Tip #5: Be Proactive! Bayer All-in-One Rose & Flower Care is the perfect product to use if you want to get ahead of the game. Apply this systemic product to the soil at the base of your roses once every month. It protects your precious roses from diseases such as black spot & powdery mildew, insects such as Japanese beetles & Aphids, and it gives a little burst of fertilizer. Customers love this product and your roses do too.

TLC Tip #6: If you must be reactive…We have many great insect controls and fungicides to take care of common rose problems such as Rose Sawfly & Black Spot. We have great conventional products like Bayer 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control. This will knock out Sawfly & Black Spot in one. Copper Fungicide & End All will also be of great help for organic gardeners.

TLC Tip #6: Clean Up! Dead head spent blooms, remove dead canes down to the ground, trim off damaged canes, and remove sucker growth. Keeping your roses cleaned up throughout the season, will keep them energized and healthy.

TLC Tip #7: Prune! The best time to prune roses is in the early spring. Leave approximately 18 inches of canes when cutting back. Cut about ¼ inch above the bud eye (reddish or brownish bump on a cane).

TLC Tip #8: Love! Talk to your roses. Tell them how much you love them. Thank them for all the beauty they provide you. Give your rose a kiss. “Oh, stop it! Don’t think of me as weird. I know you all do this when no one is looking!”