When and how should I prune my Flower Carpet Roses?

Flower Carpet roses are so easy. Just get a pair of hedge shears and go "clip, clip, clip" cut the bush back to half to one third its size in late winter just before the beginning of new spring growth. That is, no fancy pruning at all...

Want to leave the bush without pruning, you can also do this and it will still come with masses of blooms in spring, but the bush will just be a little bigger all round. So it is up to you whether you cut back or not.

When is it best to fertilize in my garden?

We like to fertilize our garden early in spring as the first buds start developing. We add 2 handfuls of general fertilizer with added minerals and trace elements per square yard. This can be done again in early summer. It is best not to give any plant food from late summer onwards, especially in the cooler areas.

This is especially so for Nitrogen. This is what makes a plant grow, and at this time of the year you want the plant to start hardening up for winter and not growing. To help your garden plants harden up for winter, you should only give Potash if you are giving you plants anything.

How often should I water my plants?

Basically a plant, once it has established its roots (normally 3-4 weeks) should only be watered once or twice a week. Adding 5cm (2 inches) of mulch on your garden bed around your plants or trees can cut water loss by up to 60%, which means less watering and in effect healthier plants.

Remember to not place the mulch right up to the stems of plants or trees, just leaving a little space so fungus can not develop around the neck of the plant.

Does disease tolerance mean Flower Carpet roses are immune?

Flower Carpet roses are among the most disease resistant roses ever bred, but they’re not plastic plants. Flower Carpet roses can develop black spot or mildew, especially if a plant is in stress from lack of water or other reasons. However, well-cared for Flower Carpet roses are very robust and unlikely to suffer unduly from exposure to black spot or mildew.

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