ROSE

Rose bushes are available a spread of forms, from rising roses to miniature rose plants, blooming primarily in early summer and fall. One way to cluster roses into categories is in keeping with their date of introduction:

• Old roses—also referred to as “old-fashioned roses” and “heirloom roses”—are those introduced before 1867. These ar the plush, invariably fragrant roses found in old masters’ paintings. There are hundreds of old rose varieties—whose hardiness varies—providing choices for both warm and mild climates.a
• Modern hybrid roses, introduced after 1867, are sturdy, long-blooming, extremely hardy and disease-resistant, and bred for color, shape, size, and fragrance. The hybrid tea roses, with one

large flower on an extended cutting stem, are one of the most popular hybrids.

• Species, or wild roses, are those that have been growing wild for many thousands of years. These wild roses have been adapted to modern gardens and usually bloom from spring to early summer. Most species roses have single blossoms.
• Plant roses wherever they'll receive a minimum of five to six hours of full sun per day. Morning sun is particularly vital as a result of it dries the leaves, which helps prevent diseases. Roses grown in partial sun may not die at once, but they weaken gradually, producing subpar blooms and overwintering poorly.
• Remember that light changes as the angle of the sun shifts throughout the season. If you live in the upper half of the U.S., choose a site that will offer full sun year-round. The more sun you have, the more flowers your plants will produce. In the lower half of the U.S., choose spots with a little bit of afternoon shade. This protects blossoms from the scorching sun and helps your flowers last longer.
• If you live in a colder climate, consider growing roses close to the foundation of your home. This provides plants with some degree of winter protection. Walkways are also good spots provided there is full sun.
• Roses need a soil that drains well but holds onto moisture long enough for the roots to absorb some. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to not provide adequate drainage. Roses do not like wet, cold feet.
• Roses like loose, loamy soil leaning more toward sandy. Too much clay and the roots can become waterlogged. If you are not starting out with a loose, loamy soil, you will need to do some amending.
• If you’re planning multiple roses, do not crowd. Provide good air circulation to avoid powdery and downy mildew.
• Roses prefer a near-neutral pH range of 5.5–7.0. A pH of 6.5 is simply regarding right for many home gardens (slightly acidic to neutral).
• An correct soil take a look at can tell you wherever your hydrogen ion concentration presently stands. Acidic (sour) soil is counteracted by applying finely ground sedimentary rock, and alkaline (sweet) soil is treated with ground sulfur. Learn more about soil amendments.
• Wear durable gloves to shield your hands from prickly thorns. Have a hose or bucket of water and all your planting tools nearby.
• Soak bare-root roses in a bucket of water for 8-12 hours before planting.
• Prune every cane back to 3-5 buds per cane. Any cane dilutant than a pencil ought to be removed.
• If planting container grown roses, loosen the roots before planting.
• When you plant the rose, be sure to dig a much bigger hole than you think you need (for most types, the planting hole should be about 15 to 18 inches wide) and add plenty of organic matter such as compost or aged manure.
• Soak the newly planted rose with water.
• Mound up loose soil round the canes to shield the rose whereas it acclimates to its new website.
• Some old-timers recommend placing a 4-inch square of gypsum wallboard and a 16-penny nail in the hole to provide calcium and iron, both appreciated by roses.
• Don’t crowd the roses if you propose to plant over one rose bush. Roses should be planted about two-thirds of the expected height apart. Old garden roses can would like extra space, while miniature roses can be planted closer.

WATERING ROSES

• Diligently water your roses. Soak the whole root zone a minimum of double per week in dry summer weather. Avoid frequent shallow sprinklings, which won’t reach the deeper roots and may encourage fungus. In the fall reduce the amount of water, but do not allow roses to completely dry out.
• Roses love water—but don’t drown them. That is, they don’t prefer to sit in water, and they’ll die if the soil is too wet in winter. The ideal soil is made and loose, with good drainage. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to not provide adequate drainage.
• Use mulch. To help conserve water, reduce stress, and encourage healthy growth, apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of chopped and shredded leaves, grass clippings, or shredded bark around the base of your roses. Allow about 1 inch of space between the mulch and the base stem of the plant. See our Mulching Guide for more information.
• Artificial liquid fertilizers tend to promote plant growth that is soft and tender, and this type of foliage can attract aphids and other pests. Instead, rely on compost and natural fertilizers to feed your plants before and throughout the blooming cycle.
• Once a month between April and July, you could apply a balanced granular fertilizer (5-10-5 or 5-10-10). Allow ¾ to one cup for every bush, and sprinkle it round the drip line, not against the stem. See our fertilizer guide for more information.
• In May and June, you could scratch in an additional tablespoon of Epsom salts along with the fertilizer; the magnesium sulfate will encourage new growth from the bottom of the bush.
• Banana peels are a good source of calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and phosphates—all things that roses like. (Note that it will take longer for your roses to reap the benefits from bananas than it would with pure soil amendments.) Here are three ways to serve them up:

FEEDING ROSES

PRUNING ROSES

• When pruning, be judicious. If you prune too hard in autumn, plants can be damaged beyond recovery. Instead, wait until spring, when plants begin to leaf out for the new season. (Roses are often not the earliest plants in the garden to respond to spring’s warming temperatures, so be patient.) Give the plant time to show its leaf buds then prune above that level.
• Destroy all old or diseased plant material. Wear elbow-length gloves that square measure thick enough to shield your hands from thorns or a slipshod slip, but flexible enough to allow you to hold your tools. Always wear safety goggles; branches will whip back once free.
• Don’t cut back or move roses in summer, as they might suffer and die in the heat. Large rose canes is prune by the maximum amount as 2 thirds, and smaller ones to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground.
• Use pruning shears for smaller growth. Use loppers, which look like giant, long-handle shears, for growth that is more than half an inch thick. A small carpenter's saw is handy, as it cuts on both the push and the pull.
• Deadhead religiously and keep beds clean. Every leaf options a growth bud, therefore removing previous flower blossoms encourages the plant to form additional flowers rather than victimization the energy to form seeds. Remove any debris around the rose bush that can harbor disease and insects.
• Late in the season, stop deadheading rugosas so that hips will form on the plants; these can be harvested and dried on screens, away from sunlight, then stored in an airtight container.
• Stop deadheading all your rose bushes 3 to 4 weeks before the first hard frost so as not to encourage new growth at a time when new shoots may be damaged by the cold.
• Not all types of roses are pruned the same way or at the same time of year. Learn more here: How to Prune Roses.
• WINTERIZING ROSES
• Do not prune roses in the fall. Simply cut off any dead or diseased canes.
• Clean up the rose beds to forestall overwintering of diseases. One last spray for flora with a dormant spray may be a smart plan.

• Stop fertilizing 6 weeks before the first fall frost but continue watering during dry fall weather to help keep plants healthy during a dry winter.
• Add mulch or compost around the roses after a few frosts but before the ground freezes. Where temperatures keep below state change throughout winter, enclose the plant with a durable mesh cylinder, filling the enclosure with compost, mulch, dry wood chips, pine needles, or shredded leaves (don’t use maple leaves for mulch, as they can promote mold growth).