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GROWING ROSES

Growing Red Roses icon
Like strawberries and cream comes readily to the mind when choosing favorite treats, growing roses instantly comes to mind when choosing flowers for your garden. Unquestionably, no other flower is held in such high esteem, whether buying them for a loved one or growing roses in the garden, they are an undisputed favorite.
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Growing roses is a relatively easy task, with just a few guidelines needed to have a wonderful, abundant show. First of all, to increase your chance of success, do some research on what type will flourish in your zone. Secondly visit the garden centers in your area or check out the catalogues and choose the type you want to grow, there are hundreds to choose from. Buying disease resistant types will make your job easier. Take your time, as selecting the right one to suit you is part of the fun.

What you need to know when growing roses is what the different types are, and what can you expect from them, so you are fully educated in what will work for you and your garden.

If you’re looking for flowers to display in the house, or you want to impress a loved one with a beautiful bouquet, try growing roses called hybrid tea. These are your classical long stemmed fragrant flowers and the most popular throughout the world. A similar plant would be the grandiflora which generally has clustered blossoms with slightly shorter stems than those of the hybrid teas.

If on the other hand you’re looking for a great display of color to impress visitors or passersby with a beautiful show of flowers growing roses of the floribunda class would be a good choice. Clusters of flowers and continual blooms are encouraged by continuous picking or removing of dead heads.

Now if you want to decorate a fence or wall, maybe form an archway to the entrance of your home or over a path, you need to buy yourself some climbers. The use of structures like this maintenance free Somerset Arbor means they can be trained to create wonderful effects.

Growing Roses in Pot icon
OK, so you live-in an apartment with no garden, you’re still catered for with a wonderful selection of miniatures which can grow in pots or tubs on the patioor even indoors. The flowers will be proportional smaller.

These are the most common types of modern varieties but many people like growing old garden roses such as noisette, china, portland and damask. There are also different ways of growing them like standard, half standards etc. Just enjoy yourself and take your time before making a decision.
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Before you go out and buy you should prepare your soil beforehand. Aim for a pH of 6.5 when growing roses. pH kits are readily available, very cheap to buy and easy to use. They take away the guesswork and it’s highly recommended that you use them. Add well rotted manure or compost over the winter months before planting to improve the soil conditions. You should provide them with good draining soil, if you have a clay type soil, adding gypsum will help to improve conditions. Consider a raised garden bed if your soil is very problematic. Make sure your plot will be exposed to at least six hours of sun light to enhance your success when growing roses.

I suggest you buy bare root stock as opposed to container types; these are available during the dormant season, so transporting is easier and disturbance is minimal. Buy from a respected company, who will supply you with a plant that is ready to go. Late winter is the time to start growing roses to get their root system established. If the weather is too wet or the ground is frozen, store them out of the wind in the garage or shed and keep the roots moist.
Before you plant, soak the roots in a container of water for a good couple of hours. Follow the instructions you would have had when you purchased with regards to spacing the plants. Hybrid teas are usually spaced about 5 foot apart. Dig a hole about two foot deep, work in some well rotted compost, now spread the roots evenly over the bottom. Be sure to locate the graft about a couple of inches above ground level and fill in the hole with soil, water well and keep moist. If inclement weather hits, put a good layer of mulch around the plant.
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To be successful at growing roses keep them fed, watered and pruned. When watering try not to wet the foliage but water from the base. Apply slow release fertilizers or well rotted manure around the plant but not in contact with trunk.