After a long period of heat with lots of sunshine and drought, it is usually the roses that are still in full bloom. They stand out even more and are a jewel in the garden. Autumn is the best time for planting. How do roses stay this beautiful?

Sunny spot

All roses adore the sun! With the exception of just a few varieties, they need at least 4 hours of sun to thrive. The more sun, the more rewarding their growth and flowering. You can buy roses with bare roots or in a pot. Bare-root roses should be planted from October to April and potted roses can be planted year round. In October and November, the soil is still warm, which means that the roses can still take root before winter. Be sure to only plant roses when the ground is not frozen.

Settling

After planting, roses need water to settle themselves properly. This is why you should give them plenty of water in the period after planting. On drier soils, apply a mulch layer of organic matter of about 5 cm thick, such as leaves or compost. This layer will prevent the soil from drying out too quickly.

The secret

Roses naturally root deeply. This is how they extract enough water from the soil during dry periods to continue to flourish where other plants have given up. If the drought period lasts for a long time and the groundwater drops, the hair roots may dry out. You can recognise this by their drying leaves. If this happens, water the roses generously in the morning, so that the deep roots can be reached. Then nothing for a while; roses find it easier to tolerate drought than too much wetness.

Interesting fact

During a heat wave, red roses in particular may sometimes turn a little paler. Not to worry: the new roses that appear after that will simply have their old colour again.