If you have roses in your garden they’re probably some of your most prized flowers. They are simply some of the most beautiful flowers out there.
But did you know that not all plants make good neighbors for your beloved roses? Planting the wrong companions can stop them from growing, bring in unwanted pests and even lead to disease.
So to make sure your roses thrive it’s important to know which plants to avoid. With that in mind I’m going to go through the top 10 plants you should never grow next to roses.
By making the right choices you’ll guarantee nothing goes wrong with your roses and they grow happily alongside other plants and flowers.
Garlic – A Rose’s Worst Companion
Garlic is a favorite when it comes to cooking. But it’s a nightmare when planted with roses.
It releases sulfur compounds into the soil which can be toxic to roses. These can really upset how the roots develop and that will result in poor growth or even death.
Allelopathic effects are another issue. Garlic produces chemicals that can stop other plants, including roses, from getting the nutrients they need. So your roses could definitely struggle if they’re planted near to garlic.
Their roots also compete when they share the same soil. Garlics roots are shallow and aggressive, stealing all the water and nutrients and leaving your roses wanting more.
And lastly – garlic can attract pests like thrips which will do damage to roses.
So planting garlic near roses is a bad idea.
Mint
Mint is a terrible neighbor for most plants. And roses are no exception.
Mint’s Aggressive Growth
Mint spreads quickly and will invade any space. Within a season it will take over the garden bed.
Because of how invasive it is it will suffocate roses and stop them from getting the space and light they need. Mint doesn’t care about other plants and will overwhelm them if they’re not strong enough.
Adverse Effects on Roses
As it’s so aggressive mint will steal the nutrients from the soil and leave the roses with fewer. The roots of the mint take the water and nutrients the roses need, leaving them to struggle.
On top of that the mint runners can stop air and water from reaching the roots of the roses. Again this will lead to poor rose health and blossoms.
Fennel
Planting fennel near your roses is also a bad idea.
Competing for Soil Nutrients
Fennel takes a lot of nutrients from the soil. So when planted with roses they will struggle to get the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium they need because of the fennel dominating. And the roses will grow poorly and flower less, if at all.
Impact on Rose Health
As well as the competition for nutrients fennel can also attract pests and diseases that can affect your roses. If you plant fennel too close the roses will struggle with health issues and grow poorly.
Walnuts
Walnut trees, particularly black walnuts, don’t pair well with anything, really. They release chemicals that harm so many plants so avoid putting them near anything.
Chemical Excretions
Walnut trees release a substance called juglone. Juglone is a natural toxin to many plants.
If you plant roses near to a walnut tree the juglone will get into the soil and upset the roses. It affects how they take up the nutrients which will result in yellow leaves and poor growth.
Negative Rose Interactions
Juglone isn’t the only issue though. The large roots of walnut trees will overpower the roses and take all the water and nutrients. The stressed roses then are more prone to getting disease or being hit by pests.
The leaves and husks that fall from walnut trees also increase how toxic the soil is over time. Which only increase the danger to your roses.
Potatoes
Potatoes can cause disease to be passed on to roses and bring pests that will affect them.
Shared Pest Risks
Planting potatoes near roses will bring pests like aphids and spider mites. These insects then move from the potatoes to your roses and potentially do damage to both.
Keeping these two apart will keep your roses healthier and less likely to be affected by pests.
Disease Transmission
Diseases like early blight and black spot affect both potatoes and roses. If you plant them together there’s a good chance they will contaminate each other.
All in all it’s best to keep these plants apart. Diseases and pests can be problems for both and your roses will come off worse.
Brassicas
Planting brassicas like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower next to roses can cause a few different problems. They need different nutrients and have growth patterns that don’t match.
Nutrient Competition
Brassicas and roses both have need a lot of nutrients. But those needs don’t compliment each other at all.
Brassicas will take a lot of nitrogen and stop roses from getting any (which they need). When roses don’t get enough nitrogen they may grow poor looking flowers.
To get healthy rose blooms it’s best to avoid planting brassicas nearby.
Stunting Rose Growth
As well as the completion for nutrients brassicas can also negatively impact how the roses grow. They have large roots that can invade the space roses need to expand.
When this happens it will stop the roots from developing and in turn make the roses weaker. So if you notice your roses aren’t doing too well it might be because you’ve planted them too close to cabbages, broccoli etc.
Boxwood
Resource Competition
Boxwood and roses are another combination that both need a lot of nutrients from the soil. So when they’re planted together they will compete for water, minerals etc.
This competition can mean your roses will have fewer blooms and generally be less healthy.
For the best results plant your roses in areas where they don’t have to do battle with other plants.
Shading Issues
Boxwoods are known for their thick growth. Which is great, but will cause lots of shade for anything growing near it. Which is a problem for your roses that need lots of sunlight.
If they don’t get enough sunlight it means they won’t photosynthesis properly, and you’ll get fewer flowers and weaker stems.
Tomatoes
Both tomatoes and roses are bad companions as they are both very susceptible to the same diseases.
Disease Transmission
Tomatoes and roses can be attacked by the same bacterial and fungal infections. Tomatoes attract aphids and other pests and these can spread these nasty infections to your roses.
And common diseases like black spot, powdery mildew and blight can quickly jump from tomatoes to your rose bushes.
So if you plant tomatoes too close to roses there’s a real risk of those diseases easily spreading between them.
Impact on Rose Health
Those diseases can weaken your roses, make them grow less and give you fewer flowers.
Black spot and powdery mildew can cause defoliation (when leaves fall off a plant). Blight can lead to rotting areas on stems and fewer flowers growing.
Sunflowers
Water and Nutrient Absorption
Sunflowers are notorious for needing a lot of water and nutrients. They quickly take all of it from the soil and that will mean your roses struggle.
Both sunflowers and roses need lots of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. So when they’re grown together sunflowers outcompete the roses and leave them undernourished.
Stifling Rose Development
Sunflowers roots are also an issue. The roots grow wide and take over the space in the soil. The roses roots get pushed out or can’t grow at all and that is bad news for their chances of success.
How tall sunflowers are can become a problem too. By creating lots of shade the roses won’t get the sun they need to grow.
Combine the roots competing and too much shade and it’s no surprise your roses will have a hard time.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right plants to grow next to roses is a big part of having success with them. Avoiding the species we’ve looked at – so garlic, mint, fennel, brassicas, walnut trees, potatoes and boxwood, and you’ll have a much better chance of beautiful roses in your garden.
