Our mantra at English Roses:
Water well and water often, to keep your rose in top condition!
Why do I need to water my rose? #
Roses need water to survive and thrive, just like us! Roses are thirsty plants, and cannot get all the water they need from the rainfall, especially in hotter and drier months. You need to supplement them with manual watering, and this may be more often than you think! Whether it is a potted, planted or bare root rose, it is important to keep your roses well watered.
Watering your roses well and often is important to their growth and survival, as well as keeping them looking beautiful. When they are in their optimum condition, it also means they have more natural resistance to pests and diseases.
How do I water my rose? #
The key point to remember is that you are watering the soil and roots, not the leaves and shoots!
Whether you are using a hose or a watering can, its always best to avoid getting too much water on the growth of the plant by aiming underneath the canopy. Water can cause scorching on leaves, especially in the height of summer, can damage blooms, encourage fungal issues like blackspot, and can also wash away any feed or pest control you may have put on.
How much water do I give my rose? #
There’s not an exact amount of water that you should give your rose, as it depends on many factors including weather, time of year, soil conditions, size of the rose, and size of the container. In general, as long as your pot and/or soil is free draining, it’s difficult to over water your rose, especially in the summer.
Click below for our top tips on watering potted or planted roses, and how to gauge how much water they need.
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Importantly, make sure your pot is free to drain. Roses do not like drinking stagnant water, and don’t like to be kept soggy!
We pot our roses with a gap of approx an inch from the top of the pot to the start of the soil, as in our experience this helps with optimum watering. Soak your soil with water and fill that inch gap until it starts to overflow, leaving behind a reservoir. Then leave to drain, and let the rose soak up all it needs.
In particularly hot and dry weather, we recommend repeating this once or twice after the water has drained through.
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Remember to direct your watering at the root base, rather than sprinkling over the whole plant. It is easier and more accurate to do this the closer you are, so you may find a hose extension helpful here.
Keep your aim on the root base ideally until the water is pooling around, and leave to soak. As with potted roses, we’d recommend repeating these steps in particularly hot and dry weather.
By giving the rose a good soaking, rather than more frequent but lighter waters, you also encourage deeper root growth, which in turn means the rose is more able to find water naturally in the soil.
How often should I water my rose? #
From about May, roses need regular watering, and the schedule increases as the weather gets warmer too. Even when we have heavy rainfall in the UK, rainwater is often not enough and will need to be supplemented to ensure your rose gets enough.
Potted roses cannot access water from the ground, so are relying on you fully for their water, and this may be more than you initially think. Newly planted roses will also need far more water than an established garden rose, as their root system won’t be as extensive.
See our handy chart below for our basic watering schedule – but bear in mind this will always vary depend on temperature, rainfall and soil condition too!
| Potted Roses (in any sized container) | Newly Planted Garden Roses (planted for 3 months or less) | Established Garden Roses (planted for 4 months or more) | |
| May/June | Every other day | Twice a week | Every other week |
| July/ August/ September | Every day | Every other day | Once a week |
| Extreme drought or heat | Twice a day | Every day | Twice a week |
| October – April | Once a week, unless frosty | Not needed | Not needed |
How do I know if my rose is too dry? #
If your rose has not got enough water, it may show these tell-tale signs:
- Leaves curling up
- Leaf colour is dull and not glossy
- Leaf edges are brown and/or crispy
- Growth and/or blooms are starting to droop
- Yellowing leaves, starting at the core and spreading upwards
- Generally looking unwell and sad
- Soil feels dry to the touch
This is particularly necessary to be aware of if it has been exceptionally hot, and if other plants in your garden are dry.
To help your rose regain its vigour, click below to take a little look at our advice. Also bear in mind you may need to increase your watering schedule to avoid it happening again.
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Not to fear – simply make sure to give your rose plenty of water, and hopefully it will bounce back to life. Roses are fairly hardy plants, and with the right care they can go back to flourishing as if nothing has happened.
Follow the advice above on watering your planted rose, ensuring to water the root base and letting the water soak in. This will need to be repeated a few times – it is worth bearing in mind that dry soil is not great at absorbing water so always check the soil has become moist again after soaking.
We’d also advise removing any dried out blooms, buds and leaves, and giving any floppy stems a prune back. This won’t harm the rose, and instead will encourage it to make new, stronger growth.
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If your containerised rose dries out, the water will not be taken to the roots and instead will flow off the soil and around the outside of the plant.
If this happens, place the container in water and let the rose soak up from the bottom.
This will ensure the water reaches the centre of the roots and will moisten the soil again. Once the soil is damp, it will no longer reject water and you can water as usual. Remember to remove the pot from standing in any water so that it can free flow after this.
We’d also advise removing any dried out blooms, buds and leaves, and giving any floppy stems a prune back. This won’t harm the rose, and instead will encourage it to make new, stronger growth.
It’s important to note that dry soil is exceptionally bad at retaining water! So if your rose is showing the above signs, and your soil is dry, please repeat the steps until the soil has become moist again.
Can you overwater a rose? #
You can, although in soils or pots with good drainage it is unlikely. A rose with too much water will have leaves that turn yellow and start to droop.
We realise this sounds contradictory as these are also symptoms of a rose that is too dry, but testing the soil should give you the answer! Simply wiggle your finger into the soil as far is it will go – if the soil is dusty then it needs more water, if it is soggy then you may have a drainage issue.
- If your rose is in a pot, it’s worth checking that the drainage is adequate – your rose shouldn’t be stood in water.
- For garden planted roses your soil may be waterlogged, and it is worth addressing this for the health of all your garden plants – adding grit and small stones can assist with drainage.
At its worst, an overwatered rose will start to have root rot, which can then lead to the death of the plant. If this is the case you will need to dig up your rose to remove the affected roots, and change the soil.
Is there anything else I can do to help keep my roses hydrated? #
- Deadhead your rose regularly, and give it a good prune twice a year. A bigger plant will naturally need more water, so reducing the overall amount of plant will help with its water consumption and ensure that its used efficiently. Pruning and deadheading are also beneficial for growth and health, see our guides for more information.
- Weeding around your roses will ensure that whatever water (and food) you give them will go to the intended recipient and not any surprise free-loaders that may have appeared!
- You can top with mulch or bark. This helps to retain moisture by keeping the soil cool and thus preventing evaporation, plus it also acts as a weed suppressant.
Most importantly though, remember our English Roses mantra: Water well and water often, to keep your rose in top condition!
Further Information #
Would you like more information about caring for your roses? See here for more handy how to guides, and other rose care information, including our feeding guide and rose care calendar. Alternatively, contact us and our knowledgeable team will be happy to help!
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Rose Care Supplies & Equipment #
We have a range of rose care essentials, carefully chosen to make caring for your rose straightforward and hassle-free.
From our specially formulated Protect & Grow Rose Feed range, to RHS endorsed gloves and pruners, rose care has never been so simple!
