Roses
Planting Roses
ll roses prefer a spot in your garden
that receives at least six to eight hours
of full sun a day and a rich, organic, welldrained soil. Roses can be purchased as
bare-root, growing in plastic containers, or
growing in biodegradable containers. Planting direction for each is a little different.
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Bare Root Roses
are root rose are an easy and inexpensive option for early season planting. These dormant plants often are sold
in plastic bags filled with moist sawdust
to keep the plants hydrated until planting.
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Soak the roots in a bucket of water for
8-12 hours prior to planting.
Trim canes so they are approximately
8” long. Remove any damaged canes.
Dig a hole approximately 18” wide
and 18” deep.
Add compost or soil conditioner and
mix with the soil dug from the hole.
Form a mound of the soil mixture in
the center of the planting hole.
Position the rose on top of the soil
mound, spreading the roots down the
sides. Position the graft union at or
just above the ground level. In cold
winter climates, position the graft union 1 to 2” below the ground level.
Backfill the hole with soil mixture
eliminating any air pockets by packing down.
Water thoroughly, adding additional
soil as necessary as soil settles.
Mound the canes with an additional
four to six inches of soil to prevent
withering of the canes before the
roots become established. Once new
growth begins to develop, remove this
soil slowly over a week’s time.
Roses Growing in Plastic
Containers
oses grown in plastic containers can be
planted year-round. They are easiest to
plant because you have a plant that is already growing.
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Thoroughly water before planting.
Remove plant from the container by
squeezing the container, laying it on its
side, and then gently sliding out while
keeping the root ball intact.
Dig hole twice the diameter of the root
ball and as deep.
Mix soil conditioner or compost with the
soil dug out from the hole.
Set the plant in the hole making sure
to position the graft union at or just
above the ground level. In cold winter
climates, position the graft union 1-2”
below the ground level.
Fill in around the root ball with soil mix,
eliminating all air pockets by packing
down.
Water thoroughly and apply a thick
layer of organic mulch around your
new plants to conserve moisture.
Roses Growing in Biodegradable
Containers
oses are sometimes offered for sale in
cardboard boxes or biodegradable containers labeled “Plant pot and all”.
1. Make sure the plant is well watered before planting.
2. Cut away the lip of the pot with a utility
knife, so the pot is the same height as
the soil level.
3. Cut four or five vertical slices up the
sides of the pot and into the soil.
4. Follow steps 3-7 above, planting pot
and all.
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Watering Roses
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ewly planted roses need more frequent watering than established
plants. A sign of wilting foliage in the
morning signals the need for water.
Thoroughly soak the root ball and surrounding soil. As the plant roots grow
out into the surrounding soil, watering
frequency can be reduced.
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Water established roses only when
they need it, thoroughly allowing water
to seep deep into the root system. Too
much watering wastes water and pushes nutrients away from the plant roots
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which can lead to excessive weeding,
fertilizing and pruning. Frequent light
watering encourages a shallow root
system that is not as prepared to handle the rigors of prolonged drought.
Water plants early in the day to minimize water loss due to evaporation.
Avoid wetting foliage, especially in the
evening, to reduce disease problems.
Roses growing in patio containers usually require more frequent watering
than plants in the ground. Be sure that
all pots have drainage holes to prevent
overwatering. Check plants often and
be sure to wet the soil thoroughly until
the entire root ball is saturated and water runs from the drainage holes.
In the hot summer months, roses need
water only when they show signs of
stress in the morning, which is expressed as curled or drooping leaves
and branches. At this time of the year,
some plants exhibit minor wilting in
the afternoon that is natural as long as
rigor is regained by morning.
Drip irrigation systems and soaker hoses are a great way to effectively water
roses while conserving water, reducing
your water bill, and promoting disease
free plants.
Fertilizing Roses
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e
sure
your
roses are well
watered prior to
application
of
fertilizer.
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Fertilize
roses
in early spring
once the chance
of frost has passed and
just before new growth
begins. Additional light feedings can be
applied throughout the growing season to encourage growth and flowering. Frequency depends on the type of
fertilizer used. Always follow package
directions.
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Stop feeding in late summer to enable
tender new growth to mature before
winter.
As a general rule, apply dry fertilizers (non-foliar-feed) on the soil between
the trunk and the drip line (end of the
branches). Always keep dry fertilizers
away from the canes to prevent burning.
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Pruning Roses
rune Hybrid Tea, Floribunda and Grandiflora roses 3 to 4 weeks before the average date of the last killing frost in your area.
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Remove 1/3 to 2/3 of the plant to stimulate new growth and flower production.
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Remove canes that are damaged and
one of two canes which may be rubbing one another.
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Remove canes that are spindly and
smaller in diameter than the size of a
pencil.
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Prune to open the center of the plant to
light and air circulation.
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Make your cuts at a 45 degree angle,
about 1/4 inch above a bud that is facing toward the outside of the plant.
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Use sharp pruning shears to make
sure cuts are clean, not ragged.
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Remove sucker growth below the graft
union and those sprouting from the
roots. The leaves will be different, so
it’s easy to identify them.
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Climbing roses should not be pruned for
the first two years. They need time to grow
long canes for flower production. After that
time, remove old canes to encourage new
canes to arise from the bottom of the plant.
T h e finest blooms on climbers
appear on canes that
were produced the
previous year.
Shrub and Antique
roses require much
less
pruning.
Most
shrub roses will naturally
obtain a rounded shrub
shape
without
pruning.
Pruning of these roses should be
confined to shaping of the plant, removal of
damaged branches and judicious trimming
back to encourage growth. This can be done
in spring after first bloom is complete.
On all roses, cutting flowers is a form of
pruning. When gathering rose blooms, always leave at least two sets of leaves on
the branch from which you cut the flower to
insure plant vigor. When removing faded,
spent flowers, cut only as far back as the
first leaf with five leaflets.
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LORIBUNDA was bred to produce bush that is lower growing than the hybrid
teas. They bloom in clusters and are usually ever- blooming. They are disease
resistant, compact, and make excellent landscape roses. DRIFT ROSES are true
groundcover roses that were developed for small gardens. There low spreading
habits also makes them perfect for container gardening or hanging baskets. Low
maintenance and disease resistant, Drift roses should be pruned in time to produce
new growth in the spring.
T
he most common flower in a bouquet, the HYBRID TEA was established
by cross-breeding two different types of roses, initially by hybridizing
Hybrid Perpetuals with Tea Roses. It is the oldest plant group classified as a
modern garden rose…. GRANDIFLORA rose combines the characteristics of the
floribunda and the hybrid tea rose. They bloom in a cluster on
each stem shaped like a chandelier. Grandiflora roses bloom more
frequently than the hybrids, is more susceptible to insects and disease and
must be checked frequently for the signs of insect and disease damage.
A
ll roses prefer a spot in your garden that receives at least six to eight hours of
full sun a day and a rich, organic, well drained soil. Roses can be purchased as
bare-root, growing in plastic containers, or growing in biodegradable containers.
Each plant directions that is located on the label for each rose is a little different.