Roses come in a wide variety of colors and most have an incredible fragrance. The flowers come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes to add to their attractiveness.
In this Roses best-growing guide we’ll take you through all the details to help you grow the best roses. When it comes to the variety of rose to grow I will leave that choice up to you since there are so many to choose from.
Planting Roses Best Growing Guide
If you are planting a bare-root rose you can plant them from November-March depending on the zone you live in. You want to make sure the soil is not frozen to be able to prepare the hole for the rose.
For potted roses, they can be planted at any time of the year but ideally in early Spring or early Fall to allow the plant to be well established before the heat of summer and the cold of winter.
Before planting you should check the pH of the soil which should be between 6-7 for ideal conditions.
Dig the hole several inches wider than the roots and deep enough to bury the rose 2 inches above the graft to protect it from freezing temperatures.
Add rose fertilizer to the hole before placing the rose in the hole and then backfill it with dirt and water thoroughly.
Fertilizing and Caring for Roses
Alfalfa is a great organic fertilizer to feed your roses with, alsofor nitrogen, you can sprinkle coffee grounds around the plant out to the drip line.
Liquid fertilizers are best for new plantings since they are easier on the young roots. For organic fertilizers, here are the best ingredients to have in the fertilizer (manure, fish emulsion, bone meal, or compost).
The best time of the year to feed your roses is early spring through mid-summer. In late summer allow the plant to start its preparation to shut down and go dormant for the winter.
Keep roses well watered for best growth and flower production, watering deeply to allow the roots to grow deep in the soil.
Keep your roses weed-free so that the rose is not competing for nutrients with weeds.
Roses are susceptible to many diseases, the most common are rust, mildew, and black spot. To prevent these there are specific things to do.
For Rust, you need to remove all the leaves back to the main stem that shows rust an orange discoloration. These leaves should be discarded to prevent them from spreading and you should clean the clippers after removing the leaves with alcohol.
Mildew- Caused by cool damp weather, humidity, and moisture on the leaves, to prevent this it is best to keep water on the roots and not on the leaves. If your plant is infected with mildew you can spray the plant with copper fungicide.
Black Spots- This is the most common disease that impacts roses. Rust is a fungus that usually appears in Spring or Fall because the leaves are moist overnight. This will not kill your rose but it will put it under a lot of stress and make the leaves look horrible. It is difficult to eliminate this if it occurs but the best treatment is sulfur or copper-based fungicide spray.
Types of Roses
Taking Cuttings for Display
Deadheading Roses
Prune just above a leaf stem that has 5 leaves that are facing out which will promote growth for the next flowers and a more attractive rose.
