Planting and Caring for Roses

Dig a large, wide hole and incorporate plenty of compost or other organic material to make a loose, friable soil. We sell an excellent Rose Planting Mix from Gardner and Bloome that may be mixed with your soil or used to replace your existing soil. A mineral supplement such as Dino-mite will provide essential trace minerals.

Water roses deeply three times a week during the hottest part of the summer. Make certain the water penetrates the soil to soak the entire root zone. If temperatures exceed 100 degrees you may need to water more often. Drip irrigation or flood irrigation is better than overhead sprinkling. However, overhead watering is acceptable if there is good air circulation and the leaves will dry quickly.

The best way to avoid diseases on your roses is to plant resistant varieties. Systemic fungicides will help prevent diseases from taking hold. They should be applied early in the season before a problem arises. Space roses far enough apart so there is good air circulation around the plants. Cut off diseased leaves or branches as soon as you notice them. Rake up and remove all fallen leaves and flowers and dispose of them in the regular trash or burn them. Do not compost diseased plant parts or put them in the green waste bin, the disease spores may remain viable and will infect other plants. If a well-cared-for rose plant suffers from fungal disease consistently, dig it up and throw it away. There are many beautiful roses that will not require constant chemical treatments to stay fungus free.

The most common insects to attack roses include aphids, thrips, cane borers and root weevils. Systemic insecticides provide the broadest control of rose pests. They are often combined with fertilizer and sometimes fungicide to make rose care easy. Organic insect control is available and effective. Organic insecticides may require more frequent application but are environmentally friendly.

Maximize blooms, flower color, size and general health by fertilizing correctly. Roses are heavy feeders and require high levels of nutrients to keep producing flowers all season. Fertilize once a month beginning in March when you see the buds start to swell and continue through September. Do not fertilize after mid-September to allow the plant to slow its growth prior to winter frost.

Prune roses in the early spring when the buds begin to swell. This will usually occur in late February or March. Look for pointed red or pink buds along the stems. Prune out any dead, damaged or diseased canes all the way to the ground or back to healthy growth. Remove any crossing or rubbing branches. Long canes may be reduced by about half. Hybrid Tea roses do best when pruned to an open vase shape where the center of the plant is opened up and the branches are directed outward from the middle. Make pruning cuts just above an outward facing bud. Whichever way the bud is pointing will determine the direction the new branch will grow. Do not prune roses all the way to the ground every year, it is not necessary and stresses the plant. Fall pruning should consist of shortening overly long branches to prevent whipping in the wind. Major pruning should be left until spring. Heavy pruning in the fall may result in excessive frost damage to vulnerable cut branches.