How do you water your roses?

4 years ago

As I have added a few more roses to my collection this year (total of 5 now) I am starting to wonder more about watering. By the time I add up all other watering needs in my yard (containers, newly landscaped front bed, etc) - the watering is kind of becoming a chore.

I recently read a bit about the drip system but to be honest, just reading about it gives me a headache. It sounds complicated to install and I assume professional installation would cost a bit. After having paid a ton to landscape our front yard, sod included, I really don't want to spend even more on professional assistance for gardening.

How does everyone water their roses? By hand? Soaker hose? Drip system?

I'd be curious to read more about your watering practices.

Thank you so much!

Featured Answer

toolbelt68

4 years ago

Take a look at the DIY auto drip system that Walmart sells. They show a schematic that explains how they are set up. All you would have to do is replace the short tubing with longer tubing.

Of course you would want the water source (which could be a 5 gallon pail) and the control/pump unit up high so gravity helps get the water to your plants should they be far away.

You could also add a water valve, such as used in the older type commodes, to the 5 gal pail. As the pump empties the pail the valve would cause the pail to refill. It would require you to connect to your home water system.

The beauty of the DIY system is that it’s not connected directly to your home water system. Thus you get no back flow into the pipes should something break. State codes may require back-flow preventers. This system doesn’t require any of that.

I suggest you do not use the tubing that comes with the system if (and only if) the plastic ’Tee’ unit that are sold in the other drip systems will attach to this systems tubing. Why not , you ask. Because you can buy 250 rolls of 1/4” tubing that can withstand Winter weather.

Just lay the tubing on top of the surface — right across the lawn if it’s between the control unit and your roses. Us some wire pins (Wire cloth hangers cut in 6” lengths then bent to form a ‘V’) to hold it down about every 18 inches or less. They sell wire pins so if you can’t cut up hangers pick up a few of those. Once you reach the flower beds use mulch to hold the tubing down. The lawn mower can go right over the tubing if you keep the separation distance to 18” or less. Within a few weeks you won’t even see it. Make sure you lay it in straight lines so you know where it is should something go wrong.

On to the next one:

Here is system that I posted a few years back. I suggested running 1/4” hose to 4x4 posts at various location in your rose garden. Instead of posts you could just put the tees in as you lay the tubing on the ground throughout the garden. Or you could run 1/2” hose to the gardens then use the 1/4” to run to each plant. Given all of that the main thing is what is required to makeup a control unit.

I’ve added a few things to the old post to show how you would modify it to run either size of hose.

A simple watering system with or without drip units.

The diagram shows how to water 8 plants with equal water going to each plant. To accommodate more plants just install more posts around the garden and run 1/4” hoses to them. To keep the water equal install Tees in the Feed hose or another tap in the 1/2 inch poly hose.

The timer is optional but will allow you to do something else while the plants are being watered.

To determine how long to leave the water on just put a container at the end of a 1/4” hose and time how long it takes to fill the container.

Or add drippers at the end of each hose, which would allow you to not worry about equal amounts to each plant.

Whatever system you would chose you will need the following (except for the posts):

What you will need:

1) A Pressure treated 4x4 post 2 1/2 feet long.

2) Timer (Not needed if you want to turn the water bib on/off to water the plants.)

3) Back flow preventer (See note on diagram)

You may want to install a pressure valve after the back flow unit.

4) Connector to attach 12 inches or so of 1/2 inch poly hose to the Back Flow preventer

5) 12 inches or so of 1/2 inch poly hose

6) A unit to close off the end of the poly hose. One such unit looks like a figure 8. You slip it onto the hose, bend the hose back onto itself inserting the end into the open hole of the 8.

7) A 1/4 inch connecter that you insert into the 1/2” hose (they sell a punch for making the hole in the 1/2” tube.)

8) 1/4 inch Tees

9) 1/4 inch hose (sold in 100 and 250 foot rolls)

10) Staples to hold the Tees onto the post

11) Tie Wraps or a small board to hold the hoses in place.

12) Small nails for holding the small board in place

13) Last but not lease would be a nice cap for the post as over time the top of the post will deteriorate

If you want to run 1/2” hose to the gardens then you will need connectors; elbows, tees, straight thru, etc.

To assemble the units it is best if you wrap Teflon tape around the male threads which will stop leaks.

Here are the cost and part numbers of the above components: The prices can vary from vendor to vendor so check around for the best price. I stuck with Rain Bird for most parts but you can use any vendor that sells the part. They may vary in looks but will do the job.

Timer: Rain Bird 1ZEHTMR You can get multi zoned units if you need them. $35.00

Brass Shut Off Valve: Twinkle Star TWIS3001 set of 2 $10.00

Back-flow Preventer: Rain Bird HT075BFFS $9.00

Pressure Regulator and Filter: Rain Bird FCKIT-1PK Kit has both regulator, filter, and connector for 1/2” tubing. $16.00

Pressure Regulator: Rain Bird HT0752PSI 25PSI $6.00

Filter: Mister Landscaper MLFF-41. $13.50

1/2” hose/tubing: Rain Bird T63-100S 100’ roll, black. $11.00

1/4” hose/tubing: Rain Bird T22-100S 100’ roll, black. $7.50

1/2” tube end closure: Rain Bird EC50/2KS 2-pack. $2.00

1/4” Hole Punch Tool for punching hole in 1/2” tubing: Rain Bird HPUN1-15 each $6.00

1/4” barbed coupling to 1/2” tube: Rain Bird BC25-30PS 30-pack $7.00

1/4” barbed Tees: Raindrip 307050B 50-pack $8.50 (note: Raindrip not Rain Bird)

1/4” barbed Elbows: Raindrip 314025B 25-pack $6.00

LAST BUT NOT LEASE

1/4” Goof Plugs: Rain Bird TP25-30PK 30-pack $6.50 Plug up goof holes or end of 1/4” hose

No question is dumb so fire away...... have fun

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (18)

Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Fortunately in Cincinnati, it's mainly rain except for the odd potted plant that may need a hose. I collect in rain buckets and just dip into them. I hand water roses for their first year if there's no rain for over a week. SN, I have quite a few posts saved about drip systems and some of them don't seem that complicated upon re-reading for a home owner to install. I think if you asked for help you'd get a lot of suggestions!!! If we had longer periods of drought like we had late last summer I would consider it. I just stopped watering, but I got fewer blooms at that time. It's even possible to set it up for pots and some programs incorporate rain etc and water based on that. The Californian on here know a lot about it. I'll see if I can find some of my links if you like. Great question.
Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA thanked Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
subk3
4 years ago
Rain?

Seriously, unless it's newly planted or a couple weeks without rain they are on their own. In the case of no rain I either use a hose in the morning while drinking my morning tea or my husband will fiddle around and get the DIY drip system which is never dripping in the right places closer to the right places.
Related Discussions
watering in a suburban garden...how do you guys do it?
Q
Comments (9)
I know just how you feel! Before we put in irrigation, my husband swore that his Native American name would be DANCES WITH HOSES. I put in the Drip Works dribbler systems in all my rose beds, so I just had to hook a hose to it and leave it on until the roses got a good deep soak. I found they were much more efficient than the soakers, and last a lot longer. But we did have to move hoses from bed to bed to do that. A good 3-4" of mulch helps hold in the moisture. When we finally put in irrigation (truly the 8th wonder of the world) they just hooked the irrigation system into the dribbler system, so I could keep watering the roses from the bottom instead of overhead. The other pre-irrigation helper was our 'tractor' sprinkler - they really are neat - you just lay out your hose around the garden where you wish to water, hook the traveling unit to the end of the hose and let it water the garden, following the track of the hose. It saved a lot of hose hauling, but I still preferred to water the rose beds at the base instead of overhead. Here is a link that might be useful: JOhn Deere Traveling Sprinkler
...See More
How do you water your roses?
Q
Comments (11)
My roses seem to like morning hand watering best. I water them all at the base first and go back a second time and do it again. If the sun is going to be drying them off in 1/2 hour's time, I wash down all the foliage to discourage pests and diseases. Sprinklers are easier, but I lose water to evaporation and soil splashes up and causes rust and blackspot. Soakers work great, but be sure to cover with mulch and check the performance. They wear out and don't water evenly anymore. Mine always watered more at the hose end and less at the closed end and so I would end up hand watering anyway. When they are new, they work great. I suppose the perfect situation would be drip irrigation on roses planted in a shallow depression like a basin. The little concrete or stone collars work great on a slope. Also, rings of river rock work fine. I like to move a slow running hose from plant to plant while I prune, weed and check for bugs. If I don't have time, I use the sprinkler but then I get more rust, etc.
...See More
Fertilizer N-P-K, how much do you use on your roses?
Q
Comments (33)
You, too, and good luck with your project. I've certainly thought about soil testing, and have always been stymied by not knowing who could do it. And the answer is idiotically simple: go to our local nursery and ask. Instead I'd rather do it the hard way (and it is hard). I never claimed to be a smart gardener. About my soil amending and fertilizing practices: I was much influenced by a book, 'Teaming with Microbes', that was recommended to me by my horticulturalist sister. Basically it talked about the importance of establishing a thriving soil microlife that then nourishes the garden plants. The gardener establishes a virtuous (as opposed to vicious) cycle in which the microlife supplies nutrients to the plants, which grow, die, and the detritus of which feeds the soil microorganisms which recycle the nutrients. Getting the process started is the hard part, in land like ours which is poor in organic matter--hence all the holes and amending--but which, once the cycle gets going well, can pretty much be left to itself. We have so much land to turn into garden that the work is enormous. But I look out my living room window right now at the garden outside (it used to be the farm courtyard), and I think, this works. I don't fertilize my two-story tall 'Jaune Desprez', the substantial shrubs of pittosporum, sarcococca, myrtle, the hardy palms and Tea roses. The bed gets pruning clippings and plant debris, and everything grows fine. Of course we have our clay soil. But if you look at Florida, for example, much of it has very poor sandy soil. And yet jungles grow there. The nutrition isn't coming from the mineral-rich soil, and not from any added fertilizer. It's due to the recycling of nutrients.
...See More
How much time do you spend tending your roses?
Q
Comments (32)
Well, I just did the official count of roses after doing the annual June death march (to make a final judgment of roses that didn't survive the winter), and the present total came out to 1140 roses. I've officially joined the premium level of rose nut, which apparently hits if you have more than 1000 roses. Now as for time spent, I'm sure you're thinking that I either: a) spend every waking minute in the garden and have no other job, or b) hire out most of the rose care to someone. I don't do any of the above, since I have a more than full-time job and family with kids at home, as well as something vaguely resembling "a life". Also, I'd never trust my roses to any outside person, particularly the usual "mow and blow" services. We do our own lawn too. So what are the tips that keep me mostly sane? Well - as sane as anyone with over 1000 roses can be. 1. I don't spray anything. No spray is lazy gardening, and it makes the roses either shape up or ship out. I used to spray Liquid Fence once a year to discourage the bunnies, but I think they're so bewildered by the vast array of choices in my yard that no one plant suffers too much. Besides, my son complained of the Liquid Fence smell, so I don't even do that. Ditto for insecticidal soap - I've gotten a good balance between good and bad bugs and I don't see any rose slugs or aphids any more. 2. I get reasonably regular rains. As several folks mentioned, that is a key for successful gardens and a real time sink if not there. During our dry seasons in August (and this year, June) when we don't get any appreciable rain, I water all the garden beds for an hour a week each with overhead sprinklers. This involves setting the sprinkler on trips from inside A/C at 5 minutes a bed (maybe 1/2 hour total time). As I said, lazy gardening. I also plant all new roses with the Watersorb water crystals, so they have moisture reserves to protect them against dry temperatures. These crystals die down after a year or so, so they learn to survive on their own once established. 3. I don't weed, I mulch. As halloblondie said, there are few garden things that are more effective labor savers than organic mulch. For me, I can weed anything that pops up in my garden beds with two fingers, except dandelions or bindweed. 4. I make garden efforts do double (or triple) duty. For instance, I winter protect with bagged leaves rolled to the edge of the garden bed or stood around the particularly fussy tea roses in one bed. Those filled bags kill the grass at the edge of the beds, meaning I don't have to edge the beds. Then in spring, I spread the leaves around the base of the roses and other garden plants for mulch, and store extra bags for use later in the season. Leaves then break down lightening the soil and substituting for fertilizer by adding a little nitrogen. 5. Bundle gardening tasks, and make the roses mostly fend for themselves. I admire those of you who use the fish fertilizer sprays and things like that regularly, but I never seem to get around to it. I save milk jugs to fill with water when planting roses, and I have jars of fish fertilizer I always intend to use later in the season to perk up the newer planted roses, but I rarely get around to it. I sometimes add a little alfalfa, Ironite and 10-10-10 fertilizer once a year to the established roses, but I missed last year and haven't done so yet this year. If I successfully do the established fertilizer, it's usually bundled with pruning tasks in March/April so I spread the fertilizers around established roses before layering down the mulch. 6. Don't sweat the small stuff - roses are much tougher than you think. Chewed leaves, bugs, blackspot, wilting, lopsided growth - bah, you can handle it! And if not, you don't belong in my yard. 7. Monitor the important things. Canker needs to be dealt with swiftly and brutally in my yard, and Japanese beetles get no mercy and swift and (hopefully) painful death. 8. Enjoy the time you spend, and share the joy with others. Remember why you do this in the first place. You don't HAVE to work in the garden, you CHOOSE to. If it becomes drudgery, downsize and/or simplify. I agree with all of you that gardening is my #1 favorite activity in spring/summer and it's where I most want to be. 9. Take care of your body and listen to it. I have several herniated disks in my back, a hip replacement, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, I'm in my 50's, and I'm allergic to everything that grows outside (so why am I a gardener??). I take care of my back by careful positioning and movement, stretching out frequently, and having treatments at home that compensate for full long days pushing my limits. I also make sure to stop and literally smell the roses, or hang out on the swing gazing at and appreciating a good day's work. Oh, and one of the two best activities to counteract arthritis?? You got it - GARDENING. The other is light weightlifting - both involve gentle weight bearing movement - and I get my weightlifting in my 50 pound bags of alfalfa... Movement is medicine, and I put it to its test. So how much time to I spend in the garden to maintain 1140 roses? Depends on the time of year: - Most of the summer into the fall, I spend maybe 3-4 hours a week on the weekend deadheading, cane monitoring/trimming, and taking pictures of roses. The latter occupies most of that time by far. I don't deadhead roses individually with so many blooms (like Darlow's Enigma), but chop off sprays when dead if and when I feel like it. Within this 3-4 hours is usually also monitoring and picking fruits and vegetables. - Spring pruning and rose planting season is more like 20 hours a week in the garden, usually long days both Saturday and Sunday. I also prune around 75 roses for our church, which adds another 20 hours I work in somewhere. The 20 hours in March/early April are pruning, inspecting, pulling off protection/mulching, and (maybe) fertilizing. The 20 hours in late April/May are planting and watering as needed (including the vegetable garden). - Late fall I return to 20 hours/week for a few weekends to plant the 1000's of bulbs I do each year, but the roses by then are on their own. After bulb planting is done in early November, I start collecting and placing leaf bags in my usual 3-4 hours a week max. See, it's doable! Not that I recommend this many roses for people who aren't insane, but I still have time for my family and work and church and cooking most of the meals, though I draw the line at cleaning house (that's why God made teenagers). Cynthia
...See More
flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I enjoy watering by hand. The kind of rain we get during the summer months are 30 second showers that don't amount to anything except to cool us off. I water in sections. By the time I get to the last section, it's time to start over. Takes about a week. Hand watering gives me a chance to get a good look at each rose for signs of trouble. I can put the hose down and let it drip into the well while I deadhead or pull weeds, then move on to the next one. Another advantage is that some roses need more or less water than others.

Mulching is the key to not being a slave to watering. Unless it's blazing hot, I can skip a week when the roses are mulched well.

I am retired and that makes a big difference. If I only had weekends or a couple hours after work, I would have to have a drip system, and I will probably put one in someday.
Dillybeansown (6b in the Ozarks)
4 years ago
Lol. Rain doesn’t cut it here. We frequently go months with high temps and no rain. I’m trying to do away with most of the high maintenance companion plants so that the only things I need to water are the roses. But even so, it is quite a task and I’m looking at drip irrigation or soaker hoses, too.
Ken Wilkinson
4 years ago
I like watering EVERYTHING with my hose twice a week during the growing season. This way I can see exactly what is going on with each plant. Also during the hot, dry summer months I wash everything down while I water. This keeps the spider mites under control.
subk3
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Please keep in mind when comparing strategies that I'm sure @Ken Wilkinson has nicer roses and better results than I do!

Also, that Middle Tennessee gets upward to 50 inches of rain a year. Unfortunately it never seems to be evenly distributed!
Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Apparently, this is the rainfall for my area in the growing season.

March

5.4 inches

April

3.6 inches

May

4.0 inches

June

3.6 inches

July

5.1 inches

August

3.7 inches

September

4.1 inches

I am still struggling to understand how much an inch is and all that, but what I know is that when I left my roses to fend for themselves last year over the summer, they were a defoliated black spot hot mess when I got back. They clearly need regular supplemental water. Sometimes I wonder whether the roots even get to drink anything when it rains SOME but not enough for the water to soak in through all the mulch I have around them.

If it was just my five roses it wouldn't be such a big deal; but I also have some containers with annuals and the front bed which is rather large. The watering starts to feel oppressive over the summer as the requirements for containers with annuals are almost daily.

I can see how hose watering is best though considering the plants receive regular individual attention.
subk3
4 years ago
Severe_Novice I think the general rule of thumb is 1" of water a week, so it's more of how that 4" a month comes...all at once or once a week. A rain gauge in your garden is a big help.

Although hose watering is good, in terms of effective use, a drip systems is what I'd probably consider "the best." When added with a regular check of your plants it's a good plan..
Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Wow!. We get about the same as subk3 and even more some years. I would thought you got more in GA so that's a great number to have. I've read roses need about an inch a week. You can get a rain gauge to keep better track. I do walk my roses most everyday with clippers and a dish of soapy water during JB season, but can see how watering is a good time to check everything. One crazy thing that I found useful last year was using the holes that had sprung in the long hose I use to water multiple roses at a time! LOL! I have too many roses to water them all regularly though. We also have moisture retentive clay/loam so that helps immensely.
suncoastflowers
4 years ago
I would love a drip system but I just water by hand when it doesn't rain for more than a week.
Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author
4 years ago
The drip system is obviously a very smart idea; but to my non-engineering mind, it sounds too much like rocket science to put it together.
Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
SN, I think if you read some posts on just one type and took it a step at a time you could do it if you wanted sometime in the future.
toolbelt68
4 years ago
Ok folks, since some of you would like a drip system that doesn't require a rocket engineering degree I'll put one together and post it. May take a while but I'l getter done.... :-)))

I have two systems in mind. One that isn't connected to the house water but does require you to fill up the water source as it runs dry. The other just uses the house water system and a timer -- plus a few other components.

I'll include the maker and price of the units so if Houzz isn't going to cut me off, so please advise.

To be continued....
Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author
4 years ago
toolbelt68,

That would be much appreciated!
Rosylady (PNW zone 8)
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
toolbelt: how kind of you! I look forward to seeing your drip design.

severe_novice....there is a YouTube channel called Garden Answer that has some great videos on how to set up a simple drip system. They just have great videos in general about all gardening topics!

I have the world's most complicated drip system :) It works really well, but it takes me, my engineer husband, and our landscaper to run it! I can completely control it with my cell phone, which is fun. I currently have over 35 zones, and many more to be hooked up!

I have tried all the methods of irrigation, and I think drip is the best for roses. Actually, I think the combination of drip and dedicated hand watering is the absolute best. You use your drip as the main water source, but you keep an eagle eye on it and check your roses frequently, like you would if you hand watered. Also, if you rely on drip, it's nice to do an overhead watering every once in a while during the summer if its been dry...to wash the foliage and sort of refresh everything.

edited to add: the drip tube I use is called Netafim...it's awesome!
Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author
4 years ago
Rosylady,

I certainly follow Laura - she is so colorful and appealing in her presentations. :)

And I watched some of her demonstrations on the drip too but it still looked fuzzy to me. I will maybe pull it off one day - but for now, with only 5 roses I will hopefully be able to keep up with hose watering.
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
4 years ago
Your rain in Georgia should be adequate without a drip system.

How do you water your roses?

toolbelt68

Comments (18)

Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley

subk3

Related Discussions

flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA

Dillybeansown (6b in the Ozarks)

Ken Wilkinson

subk3

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author

subk3

Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley

suncoastflowers

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author

Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley

toolbelt68

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author

Rosylady (PNW zone 8)

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author

Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

How do you water your roses?

Comments (18)

Related Discussions

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GAOriginal Author

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GAOriginal Author

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GAOriginal Author

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GAOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author

Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA
Original Author