What are the best methods for tracking the growth and progress of my roses?Updated 15 days ago
Tracking your rose garden's progress can make all the difference between struggling and thriving. By keeping proper records, you'll begin to notice patterns as the seasons and years go by, helping you refine your care practices for better results. Whether you're tending a few roses in your backyard or managing an entire flower farm, journaling your garden's journey is one of the most impactful habits you can develop. It's a small effort that leads to big rewards—bringing organization and consistency to your gardening year.
Here's what Felicia recommends documenting:
- Weather details, like high/low temps and rainfall - daily or weekly
- Soil test results - yearly
- Plant health (great, okay, or needs attention) - daily or weekly
- Pests or diseases observed - daily or weekly
- Pests or disease control applied - weekly
- Irrigation schedules - weekly
- Fertilizer application - quarterly
- When you prune & deadhead - daily or weekly
- Bloom production and harvested stem count - daily
Felicia's best piece of advice? “Don't bite off more than you can chew!” If you're feeling overwhelmed by this list, start small by focusing on just 2–3 key items from the list above and grow your routine over time. Short on time? Select only 1 thing that will make the BIGGEST impact with your rose care. Have more time to spend with your roses consider documenting all of the things. Remember, rose growing is about the enjoyment of beautiful plants, not creating stress so chose what you really think is achievable for YOU to do this year!
Here are some of Felicia's favorite tools to stay organized and on top of your documentation:
- Weather app: Plan ahead for conditions like rain, extreme heat, or frost.
- Notion Digital Rose Journal: A digital tool for tracking rose care routines. Click here for my FREE template to copy to your workspace. I'm using this for my home garden this year!
- Camera: Take photos or videos to document things in the garden. Save them in separate folders like insects, blooms, disease, for easy reference on your smartphone.
- Notebook or journal: If you prefer pen and paper, a classic notebook (like this one here) works beautifully.
- Printable resources: Members of my online learning community, The Menagerie Academy, get access to printable daily planners and record-keeping charts. Learn more and become a member!