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PLANTING AND CARE OF ROSES
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Roses require at least 6 hours of sun daily. Morning sun is essential as is good air movement through the foliage to keep it dry and discourage diseases. Plant the bushes away from large trees and shrub masses which compete for nutrients, moisture, and sun.
PLANTING To plant your roses, dig the hole about 6" wider than the pot and 1" to 2" deeper. Remember roses do best with good drainage, so if possible, such as when planting a bed entirely of roses, it would be wise to amend the soil with organic material, such as peat moss. A 2" layer of peat moss tilled 6" deep makes for a good soil medium. Next, take the plant out of the pot and set it in the hole. Be sure the plant is deep enough so that when the soil is filled in, the bud union or graft us covered with at least 1" of soil. Start to back fill with loose soil. When the hole is approximately half full of fill soil, add some rose food to encourage root growth. Then finish adding soil and water well to settle the soil. Mulch around the base if the plant with 2" to 3" of shredded bark or other mulch. This helps to conserve moisture, maintain soil temperature and control some diseases. WATERING We can't tell you how much or how often to water. The frequency of watering (as well as the amount) depends on soil type, climate, and growth stage of plant. Normally, a rose should receive the equivalent of 1" of rainfall per week, all at one time. Hot and dry weather may call for watering every 3 or 4 days, or more often during periods of drought. Water thoroughly when you water, soaking the soil to a depth of 8" to 10". A light sprinkling is worse than no water at all. The most effective system for watering rose beds is with a slow drip irrigation system at the base of the plants. This system does not wet the foliage or spread the mulch, thus reducing disease. It saves you time, energy, and even money because less water is used in the long run. FEEDING ROSES Roses are a heavy user of nutrients. Regular applications of rose food are required for optimum growth. Roses should be fed beginning in early spring as the bush puts out new leaves, then continuing every 4 weeks through mid summer. Rose foods with a high phosphorous content are usually considered best because phosphate encourages the development of larger, more beautiful blooms. From August 15th. through September 1st. discontinue regular rose food and feed with bone meal or super phosphate for fall root development. DISEASES AND INSECTS Prevention is the key word. A rose that is growing vigorously can withstand more injury from unwanted invaders than a rose that is under stress from lack of water or nutrients. Avoid watering the entire rose bush as this can cause mildew. Water only the soil underneath the bush. When watering, avoid splattering soil or mulch as this spreads powdery mildew and blackspot. Prevent disease and insect problems by setting up a regular spraying or dusting schedule. Start with a dormant spray late winter or early spring and then follow up with a spraying or dusting program using multipurpose pesticides at least every couple weeks. Insects and pest damage my be minimized by using systemic insecticides with plant food every 6 weeks (dug in around the base of the plant and watered in). The systemic approach gives the bush internal protection from sucking type insects like aphids, mites, leaf hoppers, and white flies. However, it has no effect on chewing insects or fungus, so your regular spraying or dusting program should be followed. WINTER PROTECTION |
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