What should I do to 2 of my rosebushes that have moss at the base, without harming them?

Question

They have produced some flowers,not many as usual and are struggling a bit.I really would hate to lose them.One of them is a white Diana Princess if Wales, with a beautiful scent.....Help!!

Answer 1

Moss at the base of your roses will not hurt them -- moss has superficial roots and will not rob the roses of nutrients. But the fact that moss, generally a shade-loving plant, is growing around your roses tells me that your roses may not be getting the six hours of sun they need each day in order to thrive and bloom prolifically. Perhaps that is the problem. So, if you need to, move your roses to a sunnier location. Make sure you get all the roots when you dig them - move them quickly to the newly prepared site, dug twice as large as the root ball and amended with compost, and water well at the base. Mulch them to create a hospitable, moisture retentive environment and to protect them over the winter. Next year you will be rewarded with healthy plants and lots of beautiful blooms.

Answer 2

Jet it off with the hose.The rose you mentioned is prone to poor growth.It was the only rose in regents park rose garden to have to be replaced.They are a bit sickly,a bit miserable and a bit like that silly cow

Answer 3

Roses do like a nice open space, with plenty of sun, well as much as they can get in Britain. I get the feeling that your rose is planted in a shady area, or in wet ground. The moss will do the rose no harm at all, but it is an indicator of cold,  damp, and shady ground. I would suggest that you move it, not now, but between say November and March, to a warmer, sunnier place. and mulch in loads of compost, next year your roses will smile like the Princess its named after.