General Gardening Tips for Cultivating Roses

There are roses with English names, French names and Chinese names. There are roses for every garden imaginable and there are roses of every color and hue to bewilder and enchant even the most fastidious of gardeners. There are roses for borders, for ground cover and for climbing. There are shrub roses, stately standard roses, compact bush roses, patio roses and miniature roses and the beauty about all of these roses is that any gardener can grow them with breathtaking success.

Cultivating Roses

Roses are remarkably good, consistent and long flowering plants but to get the best from them knowing the planting procedure from the outset is an ideal way to start.

• It is possible to buy roses with bare roots or in pots. Bare root roses are best planted between October and March. Roses bought in pots can be planted at any time, even when they are in full bloom.

• Bare root roses are best planted immediately after purchase to prevent the roots from drying out.

• Roses like to be planted in full sun. However, if the summers are very dry it is best to plant them in light shade. Roses will not grow in full shade.

• Watering is important but avoid soil which is subject to water logging or on the other hand, soil which is plagued by drought. In most temperate gardens natural rainfall is sufficient but during long dry spells it will be necessary to give additional water. Water thoroughly in order to reach the deep taproots.

Soil Preparation for Roses

Roses will grow in either alkaline or acidic soils but the perfect soil is one with a neutral pH. Prepare the soil before buying the plants. Dig a wide and deep hole and incorporate lots of organic matter into the soil, local well rotted manure is ideal but good quality compost will be fine. Adding some bone meal will be beneficial. When planting the rose spread the roots out in all direction and ensure the hole is big enough for them to continue to grow without impediment. Fill the hole making certain that the graft union is positioned just below the soil. Water well and firm the soil with a spade or heel taking care not to damage the graft.

Favorite Roses from Differing Species

• Border Rose: “Rosa Apricot Nectar” is a compact rose with a full fragrance and will bloom all through the season in zones 6 to 10.
• Shrub Rose: “Rosa Ballerina” is a delightful rose with masses of small wild rose type flowers. The flowers have white centers and pink edges.
• Bush Rose: “Rosa Alec’s Red” is a sturdy, rain resistant rose with large deep red flowers. The petals are luxuriantly scented.
• Climbing Rose: ‚”Rosa Golden Showers” is a bright yellow climbing rose. With regular dead-heading it will bloom through summer and fall. It requires little or no pruning and it is less thorny than other climbers, making it ideal for growing close to entrances.
• Patio and Miniature Roses: These are small compact bush roses and “Rosa Ruby Anniversary” is a show stopper with crimson flowers all summer long. Does well in patio containers.

Caring for Roses

During a successful growing season it will be necessary to deadhead the spent blooms and once the growing season is waning most roses will need to be pruned. Always use sharp secateurs to make a clean cut. Make the cut at an angle and it should be directed outwards. Roses can be tidied in the fall but the best time for formal pruning is at the end of winter. Always cut out any dead wood to allow for better air circulation. Most roses will benefit from a yearly feed of a general fertilizer. Pests are easily handled by spraying with pesticide and fungicide.

Roses are without doubt the most reliable plant any temperate garden can possess. They look splendid in a single-color mass planting or in a mixed arrangement. They are long lived and make splendid cut flowers and even for pain free gardening there is a magnificent, thornless climber called “Rosa Zephirine Drouhin”. It has sweetly scented pink blooms through spring and summer.