The Do's and Don’ts of Watering Roses: Timing, Tips, and Techniques

1. Water Early in the Morning

The best time to water roses, for several reasons is in the early morning from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. because it helps to do the following:

Avoid Disease: Roses are sprayed in the morning so that they can dry up before the evening sets in. Night wetness of the leaves causes fungal diseases including powdery mildew and black spots.

Improves Water Absorption: Roses are more likely to absorb water in the morning than in the middle of the day when the sun has come out.

Prevents Stress: Watering in the morning reduces stress in the plants due to heat during mid-morning or mid-day.

2. Water Deep and Thoroughly

This practice leads to the development of shallow-rooted plants, which are just watered on the surface and dried up easily because all the root system is at the top part of the soil.

On the other hand, when you allow the water to penetrate deep down it provides the roots a good stand to cope with the drought situation.

Irrigate the area surrounding the rose bush with slow gentle force and let the water go down to about 6-8 inches deep. It will assist the roots to lengthen and make the plant stronger in general consequently.

3. Water at the Base, Not the Foliage

Watering at the base of the plant keeps the leaves dry, and this minimizes the chances of the plant being infected with fungi. Avoid wetting the foliage or the flowers as this leads to diseases such as: black spots or rust.

However, it is always good that it is allowed to go to the roots directly, which happens to be an important part. It's where a soaker hose or drip irrigation system sets in since the water will go to the plant roots and the leaves will stay dry.

4. Watering Should Be Done According to The Weather

Like any other plant, roses need water in different measure depending on the season of the year. When the weather is hot you will have to water your roses more often because the soil dries up faster.

If the prognosis of the weather is that it will rain or if it has rained - you can use a little less of water because the ground is already wet. Do water your plants depending on the climate and always check the ground before you water it.

5. Use Room-Temperature Water

Using water that is too cold or too hot may shock the plant's roots. It also hinders nutrient uptake and stresses the plant. When watering roses, the water temperature should always be at room temperature.

If water is too cold, the roots become constricted and can barely take in moisture, whereas too hot water burns the roots.

6. Water Roses in the Active Growing Period

Roses are faster during the growing season and need more water than the dormant season, which is during the winter period.

Hence they should be watered once a week during these months to a depth of 10 to 14 inches. This is especially important when the plant is watered in the summer. Talking about the fall and winter, it will need much less water.

7. Mulch Around the Roses

Watering your roses is made easier by mulching around the plants since it reduces the amount of water that evaporates from the soil. Mulch also helps maintain the right temperature and protect the roots from scorching sun or frost.

Organic mulches are the best because they break down and contribute to the fertility of the soil over time. Wood chips, straw or compost are examples of organic mulches.

1. Don't Overwater Roses

Roses do need water, but excessive water causes root rot that leads to plant death. Waterlogged soil causes roots to be oxygen-starved and invites diseases - causing fungi and bacteria.

To prevent it from getting overwatered, ensure that the roses are planted on the ground that has a well-draining area. In the case of planters, there must be draining holes at the bottom, from which extra water is removed to avoid overwatering.

2. Don't Water at Night

The evening and nighttime waterings make the moisture remain on rose leaves all through the night that encourage rose diseases. While the soil will dry during the night, the wet leaves take much longer.

As in the cooler temperature of evenings, the temperature drops and the evaporation rate is slowed. Prolonged moisture invites fungal infection on leaves, including black spots and powdery mildew, that grow best in moist conditions.

3. Don't Water Too Frequently

Watering roses too frequently will make the soil waterlogged, not allowing the roots to breathe - which they need to be very healthy. Roses prefer to have deep and less frequent water than shallow and frequent water. 

You don't want your roses to reach a state where the roots do not have to reach deep in the soil for water. They can become weak and diseases may attack them easily. Instead of frequent watering, water your roses deeply, ensuring the soil is moist 6-8 inches below the surface.

4. Never Let the Soil Wholly Dry Out

While roses do not like being water-logged, they also do not do well in extremely dry soils. Dryness will result in wilted leaves, droopy flowers, and stressed plants. Roses do best when they have consistent moisture.

Always regularly check on the moisture in the soil, ensuring that it provides enough hydration for the roots during the growing seasons.

5. Do Not Water with Hard Water

Hard water with its high concentration of minerals such as calcium and magnesium could burn your roses. Mineral build-up in the soil occurs when hard water is applied, which hurts the ability of the plants to absorb other nutrients.

Allowing tap water to sit for about 24 hours allows dissipation of chlorine or other chemicals. For the best outcome, make use of distilled or rainwater as it is soft and free of destructive minerals.

6. Do Not Water Roses Too Close to the Stem

Avoid watering right next to the rose's stem or its crown. The water should be spread around the root zone of the rose plant to prevent fungal development at the bottom of the plant.

Watering close to the stem or crown will lead to root rot and other diseases.

Underwatering roses is the easiest thing to spot as the plants have many symptoms that point out they are stressed. The first possible indication of the plant’s dehydration is the wilting of the flowers and the leaves will be soft and less firm as they are usually expected to be.

Afterward, the leaves are turned brownish and the edges of the leaves can become crispy. Indeed you may find rose leaves turn yellow in the lower portions of the plant a phenomenon that will warn you that the plant is not getting the right dose of water.

If the ground is dry and filled with poor cracks, one is well assured that the roots of the plant are in a poor position to get the water. Other signs of under-watering problems include slow down in the growth of the rose plant and the stems would be thin or frail.

Watering the roses too much – is more harmful than not watering them at all – generally. The first sign of over-watering is when leaves develop yellow shoots from the base of the plant.

Most of the time the leaves also turn brown and wither and fall off the tree prematurely. If the roses are in constant over watering condition then the soil around it remains water logged and the roots may rot.

Some of the examples include soft and mushy stems where water is in excess disrupting tissue formation in a plant. Instead, they may fall prey to fungus or bacteria and a wet environment only worsens the situation for them.

Proper methods of watering guarantee your roses get the appropriate amount without overwatering or underwatering. These watering techniques will help in controlling the flow of water to have it deeply penetrate into the plants.

Below are a few useful and effective methods for keeping healthy and long-lived roses.

1. Drip Irrigation System

Drip irrigation system is useful when a large garden or several rose plants are in the garden. It comprises many pipes or tubes that provide water at the root area of every plant.

This method is helpful because it saves water which would otherwise be wasted by the process of evaporation or by runoff. The water gets to the root of the plant while the leaves and stems dry up, minimizing fungal diseases.

How to Implement:

Use drip irrigation with slow-releasing emitters on the plants. Place these around the base of each rose plant in a manner that the water will have the best chance to be taken up into the root zone.

Set a regulator to allow enough water to flow in order to satisfy each plant but never allow more than the soil can hold.

2. Soaker Hoses

Soaker hoses are another creative way of deep and regular rose watering. Such hoses are made from materials that are absorptive and water will be allowed to drip along the length of the hose.

The hoses release water all along the hose so that each plant root gets the amount of water that it requires. Like drip irrigation, soaker hoses lose little water to evaporation and runoff because the water percolates into the ground.

How to Implement:

Place the soaker hose along the root zone of your rose plants to keep it evenly spaced in order to water each plant. Turn the water on slowly to allow the hose to soak the soil deeply. Leave the hose on for about 30-45 minutes, depending on how moist your soil is.

3. Watering by Hand with a Watering Can

Watering by hand with a Can is a simple method that is used for small gardens or for people who want to be more intimate with their plants.

The Watering Can should be one with a long spout to control the flow of water out to the base of the rose bushes. Hand watering is going to help you control where the water goes and only the soil around the roots is going to be wet.

Here's How to Implement

It is also important to use room temperature water when watering the plants, so fill the watering can with the same.

Pour water on the base of the plant gently in order for it to wet the soil. You are advised to water deeply to ensure that water penetrates down to the 6-8 inches depth. Do it again when the soil becomes dry so that the roses are watered evenly.

4. Bottom Watering for Containers

Bottom watering has been instrumental for roses grown in containers. In this method, the pot is submerged in a tray or shallow basin of water to allow absorption from the bottom.

It cuts the chances of fungal diseases by not wetting the foliage. Bottom watering has a tendency to make roots dive deeper into the soil in search of water which also promotes strong and healthy root systems.

Here's How You Implement

Place the rose pot in a shallow tray filled with water. Allow the water to soak up through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

After 10-15 minutes have passed, take the pot off the tray and let the surplus water drain out. Try not to let it stay in the water too long, or the roots can start to rot.