Roses
It's time to stop and smell the roses! Roses have inspired artists, writers, and composers for centuries. Let them inspire you as well to bring new excitement to your garden! With proper care, roses will be there for you to enjoy all season. What a glorious reward for your efforts - a garden full of lush color and fragrances.
What is a bare root rose?
Because roses go dormant in the winter, their rate of metabolism is low enough that they can be taken out of the ground and shipped without any soil around their roots. Such plants are bare-root plants. They can only be shipped when the conditions for doing so are appropriate. When bare root plants have been field grown, they often have very well developed root systems which help them grow well in their new homes. They always have the advantage that they are smaller and lighter to ship.
How do I plant a bare root rose?
Before Planting: Bare root roses should be planted as soon as possible after receiving them. Carefully take your roses from the box/bag. Prune any broken or injured canes, and canes less than pencil-size in thickness. Prune remaining top canes to 6”. Do not prune roots. It is vital that roses do not dry out before they are planted. We advise soaking the root system in a bucket of water for about an hour prior to planting. If planting must be delayed for a few days, keep the plants moist and in a cool, dark location, or place them into a temporary soil trench in a shaded location.
Planting: Roses prefer to be planted in full sun! Prepare your rose bed by spading the soil deeply. Add organic matter and mix well with the soil. Organic matter can be in the form of manure, shredded leaves, or peat moss. You can mix it yourself or purchase it at your local nursery. Once the soil is prepared, dig a hole approximately 15 inches deep and 18 inches wide. Form a small mound of soil in the center of the planting hole. Then, set the plant on the peak of the mound and spread the roots down the sides so the bud union (swelling at the stem base) is just above the ground level. Note: In climates where the winter temperature falls below 0°F, it is best to position the rose 2" to 3" inches below ground level. This will add extra winter insulation. Roses require good drainage. If your soil has poor drainage, dig a larger hole. Work soil mixture around the roots to eliminate any air pockets. Add more soil until the hole is three quarters full. Fill the hole with water and allow it to soak in, then refill again with water. After the water drains check to see if the bud union remains at the proper level. Fill the remainder of the hole with soil. For best results, cover with straw or a light mulch (leaves) until new top growth is 1-2” long. Check every two to three days and when new growth is 4” or more, apply your favorite rose plant food according to the directions. You should not add fertilizer to the planting mix; this will injure the developing roots.
How do I take care of my roses throughout the year?
1st Year Care: "Deadheading" refers to the process of removing old or spent flowers. This signals the plant to produce more flowers. You can combine deadheading and fertilizing, since they should both be done about every 4-6 weeks. Roses prefer a fairly balanced fertilizer. Roses also like a good, deep soak to promote deep rooting and they will develop drought tolerance if established this way. Frequent light watering promotes shallow roots that will depend on frequent watering. Mulching helps to reduce evaporation and retain moisture. Allow the top inch of soil to dry each time between watering.
Future Care: Once you have had a few good frosts, leaves will start falling. Apply a dormant spray such as lime sulfur and/or spray oil. This will kill pests and fungal diseases that might try to over-winter on the plant or surrounding soil. Rake leaves from around your plants to prevent the spread of diseases. Zones 1-6 cover the crowns with a mound of soil about 6" high, then cover the plants and mound with straw. Zones 7&up protection is usually not necessary, but roses can benefit from applying mulch over the crown area if a cold winter is forecasted.
How can I prevent pests and diseases from ruining my rose garden?
Pests and Diseases: The three major summer pests are thrips, spider mites, and Japanese Beetles. Thrips mainly attack rose blooms. Mites attack foliage. If detected early, organic or chemical spays, or an initial wash with a jet of water from the garden hose should ward them off. Depending on the severity and timing, Japanese beetles can be picked off, sprayed or trapped. Blackspot, powdery mildew and rust, are all types of fungus disease. Blackspot occurs during humid or rainy weather or where watering (especially overhead) is excessive. Powdery mildew prefers warm days and cool nights, crowded plantings or damp, shady areas. Rust develops on moist foliage, so areas with heavy dew or fog are prone to this disease. Avoiding these extremes will ward off disease.
Secret to Rose Success
Roses Love Water
Beautiful rose bushes of varieties like Candelabra and Betty Boop can easily be grown in your garden or container. All it takes is lots of sun, a little fertilizer and, of course, consistent watering.
Nothing is more important for a rose bush's survival and performance than water. Roses absolutely love water. The key is to adopt correct watering practices for your particular rose situation and climate. What is correct also depends on sun exposure, type of soil and the method of watering.
In general, soil for roses should be watered deeply, but infrequently. And even during winter, occasional watering of garden roses during dry periods will help them perform better during the next growing season.
For container roses, keeping close tabs on the soil's moisture condition is important because of frequent drainage. Initially, water the plant well to get it firmly established. During growth, stick a finger in the soil to check for moisture. If your finger comes out literally dry, it's time to add water. Muddy soil means the plant is getting too much water. Moist soil should be an indicator that the water amount is just about right.
Here are some other basic rules to follow for watering your roses:
- Roses should receive 1 to 2 inches of water each week. Rule of thumb is to water two to four times a week for about 30 minutes, especially if there is no rainfall, or in very hot or windy conditions. (This applies when using a hose, bubblers or a drip system with 4-gallon emitters.)
- Avoid wetting the plant's leaves during regular watering, which can spread disease.
- Sprinkle bushes about once a week with a spray nozzle hose attachment. This treatment not only adds water and humidity, it clears leaves of dust, dirt and spider mites or other harmful insects. But never sprinkle bushes in the afternoon or evening, which can promote disease.
- Water in the morning to help prevent black spot and mildew.
- Mulch (2 to 3 inches around a bush) to help retain moisture from watering and reduce future watering needs. Mulching also helps keep the soil cool and helps control weeds.
Rose Care
Roses may be the flowers of love, but there's nothing romantic about a bush that doesn't produce beautiful blooms. Don't worry. With a little tender loving care your roses will be as pretty as a picture.
Fertilize Regularly
The first feeding of your roses should be done when the bush first leafs out. For the remainder of the growing season, fertilize after each flush of blooms. Stop fertilizing about 2 months before the first frost. Use a commercial rose food or general-purpose fertilizer applied according to manufacturer instructions. Scratch dry fertilizers into the soil beneath the leaves - but not touching the canes or bud union - and water well.
Mulch Generously
Mulch helps minimize weeds, keeps the soil moist and loose, and adds essential nutrients. Organic mulch is best - try wood chips and shavings, shredded bark, pine needles, cottonseed or cocoa-bean hulls, chipped oak leaves or peat nuggets. Apply in the spring just as the soil warms and before weeds start to grow. (It can also be applied anytime during the growing season provided weeds are removed and soil surface is lightly cultivated.) Spread 2 to 4 inches over the rose bed, leaving some space open around the base of each rose. Replace mulch as it deteriorates during the year.
Water Adequately
Seldom can you rely on rainfall to be an adequate source of water for roses. The actual frequency of watering will depend on your soil and climate as well as the age of the plant. Try watering a few mornings a week - water slowly, until the soil is thoroughly soaked 12 to 18 inches deep. Soaker hoses or a hose with a bubbler attachment will help keep water from splashing onto foliage, and possibly spreading diseases. Soil-level and drip-irrigation systems are also effective.
Prevent Pests
The best pest prevention for roses is achieved by selecting top-quality plants and then properly caring for them. For more information about specific pests and controls for your area, check with your local nursery or garden center, co-operative extension agent or AARS public garden.
Prune to Promote Blossoms
Pruning controls the size and shape of rose plants and for modern varieties, keeps them blooming repeatedly all summer long. Well-established hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras should be pruned early each spring after the winter protection has been removed and just as the buds begin to swell.
Old-fashioned roses and climbers that bloom only once a year should be pruned immediately after flowering since they bloom on wood from the previous year's growth. Generous proper pruning creates bigger plants and eventually more flowers per plant. Selective pruning of top growth can produce bigger, but fewer, blooms. Don't be nervous about pruning - there is no evidence that anyone ever killed a plant with pruning shears!
To prune roses you'll need the following supplies: sharp curved-edge pruning shears; long-handled lopping shears; and leather gardening gloves. The diagram above shows the preferred angle to prune.
Over-Wintering
Winter Protection
When the winter winds blow, gardeners who live in an area where temperatures dip below 5° F need to protect their roses. The goal of this easy annual procedure is to lessen the effects of freezing and thawing, and to keep the branches from whipping about, which in turn causes roots to loosen.
Winter protection is probably the most debated area of rose care. Many rosarians have developed favorite methods. AARS has devised the following routine which has proven effective in its public gardens and trial gardens across the United States.
Sometime after the first hard frost, cut back rose plants to about 24 inches. This makes the plants easier to work with and prevents them from becoming battered by wind and ice. Next, tie the canes together with twine to protect from winds.
For each rose plant, form an 8 to 12-inch mound of fresh, loose soil or compost around the base. An additional layer of hay or straw may be added over the mound, if desired. When spring rolls around and you observe the beginning of new growth on your roses, carefully remove the soil mounds.
Designing with Roses
Rose Uses and Landscape Design
A rose is a rose is a rose...
Or is it? Contrary to what Gertrude Stein wrote, there are hundreds of varieties of roses in the United States today. With such a rainbow of choices, there's a perfect rose for every space in your garden.
Roses are available with a tremendous assortment of growth habits, shapes and sizes, as well as many different leaf and flower colors, forms and textures. Few other shrubs or even perennial flowers bloom so readily the first year of planting or for so much of the growing season. And, roses come back year after year.
Where would roses make the biggest impact? Take a look around your home for places where the beauty of roses could make a difference. This table offers some suggestions for pairing various types of roses with various home settings.
