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Growing Roses
Professional Advice - Roses are usually
lumped together with other flowers; however growing roses requires some
particular consideration.
First, they require six to eight
hours of full sun each day, and that alone exclude shady areas.
Listed below are some other
things to consider.
Preparing Your Rose Bed - Experts in the field of growing roses suggest that
you condition the soil to a depth of two to three feet. Dig down about one foot
into the area where you plan to grow your roses, and remove the soil. Pile your
soil off to one side on top of a sheet of plywood or plastic to protect your
grass.
Apply a layer of manure, compost,
or peat moss roughly three inches deep over the bottom of the hole.
Dig down into the soil
about one more foot and turn that over, mainly to mix in the manure, compost, or
peat moss.
Put back the first
foot of soil that you removed from the area and spread one more three-inch layer
of manure, compost, or peat moss over that.
Add bone meal at this time to speed up root development and growth, and there
are fertilizers specially made for roses that you can also add at this time.
Then use a roto-tiller to mix the layers and then rake the soil smooth.
Planting Container Roses
-
Before you start planting, trim all the dead, brown wood from the rose cans. Do
not remove any green wood.
Make a hole approximately six inches wider and six inches deeper than your rose
container.
You are taking a chance of damaging the roots of you rose if you remove the
container completely off and plunk the rose in the hole, so follow the steps
below:
- Use a sharp
utility knife to cut off the bottom of your container.
- Using a stick to
guide you level the base of your rose canes with the top of the
hole.
- Add soil beneath
the plant as required to hold your rose in place.
- Cut one side of
your container halfway up from the base.
- Add soil to the
top of the cut you made in the container, pressing out any air
pockets.
- Finish cutting the
side up to the top of the container.
- Fill in the what's
left of the hole.
- Pull out the
loose-fitting plastic.
- Push down the soil
firmly and water completely.
After you
finish planting, add a four-inch layer of mulch to your rose bed you
can use chips, grass clippings, bark, or leaves.
That will aid in keeping the roots moist, cool, and reasonably free
of weeds.
Maintaining Your Roses - Roses like any other plants are vulnerable
to various diseases and insects. You will have to use commercial
remedies that are available to combat diseases and insects.
A lot of the products can be watered down and sprayed on every seven
to ten days to protect your roses. Always follow directions on the
package.
Most of the problems are caused by humidity or extreme heat, so be
especially watchful during those times.
You should check with your local nurseries for information specific
to your climate and area.
As your rose blooms fade, you should
snip those off to promote new buds to bloom elsewhere on your rose.
Preparing
Your Roses for Winter
-
In
northern climates, rose growers’ use what has become the Minnesota Tip to
safeguard their roses during the winter months.
- Collect up the
rose canes and tie them tightly into a bundle with some nylon
string.
- Use dormant oil to
kill any bugs by spraying the canes.
- Dig a ditch along
the side. Dig the ditch as long as the height of your roses.
- Loosen the roots
of your roses on the side directly opposite your ditch.
- Gently bend the
plant and guide the canes down into your ditch.
- Cover up the
ditch; leave the end of the string noticeable for recovery in
the following spring.
- Keep your soil
moist until the ground freezes over.
- Cover your roses
with mulch after the freezes to avoid thawing and refreezing.
If you live in a milder
climate, you will not require such radical measures to protect your roses.
Ask your local experts for the favored technique in your location.
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