Michael was the leading rose expert at David Austin Roses for 35 years, and is the most knowledgeable rosarian in the country, if not in the world. His common-sense approach to growing roses is well-known and below he offers six myth busting tips when it comes to growing your own roses.
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Myth busting rose growing tips from an expert
Roses can grow in shade.
Although most prefer a sunny position, some do very well in part or almost full shade. They might not have as many flowers, but they will grow well.
Don’t worry about replant disease
If you plan to plant where there has been a rose before, you may be concerned about replant disease. But as long as you’ve looked after your soil well with generous mulching and not overfed the rose in the past, you should be absolutely fine planting it in the same place.
Here's Michael Marriott on why he loves species roses
Don’t worry about deadheading
I tend to choose roses that offer flowers that die well. Some drop off and others remain attractive as the flowers fade. Deadheading will encourage a second set of flowers on some roses, but I rarely deadhead. When a rose offers hips after flowering, deadheading should be avoided. I would suggest you experiment with leaving a few parts of the rose to see if hips appear.
Want to know more about deadheading?
Consider only feeding potted plants
In my Shropshire garden, I feed very little as the soil is fertile. Plants can suffer if they are overfed, so always follow the instructions on the feed packet. Roses in pots will need feeding as most peat-free composts only have enough food to keep the rose going for up to six weeks. Also make sure to water really thoroughly so the compost doesn’t dry out.
There is a simple way to mix roses with perennials.
Pick a flower and offer it up to the rose. Look to see how the flower colours work together.
Here's more on planting roses and perennials
Don’t do anything if a pest or disease affects your roses
In 40 years of growing roses, I have never used a spray. The more aphids you have, the better, as they provide food for visiting birds and beneficial insects and you end up with a balanced environment. If I have a rose that consistently struggles with disease, I remove it and plant a more resistant variety. Rose nurseries are gradually removing the more diseased varieties and keeping the healthier ones.
Here's how to prune roses