I reviewed my list of flowers and plants I wanted to write about this summer and realized I forgot to write about roses. This is a hard category for me to write about as I know little about them and have never tried to grow them. To me, they seem finicky but are often people’s favorite flower. My neighbor’s down the way have a whole row of them along their front entrance and seem to spend a lot of time and effort on them during the season which includes mulching and covering them over the winter. Living at the lake the first roses I think about are the pink wild roses that grow out here and that hold special memories for me from my youth (i.e. something about a boy and a romantic walk at Hartford Beach one balmy summer afternoon). Anyway, on to more practical information!
Rose bushes come in a variety of forms from miniatures to climbers and everything in between. They are often categorized as old or heirloom roses, modern hybrid roses or wild roses which have been adapted for modern gardens. The old roses have large lush fragrant blooms and are often seen in paintings. They come in hundreds of varieties some hardier than others. Most common in today’s gardens are the many modern hybrid varieties which are hardy, long blooming and disease resistant. They are also bred for color, shape, size and fragrance. Today’s wild roses are often chosen by those who want to create a more organic natural look in their gardens.
Most hobby gardeners are best served choosing from among the zone specific choices available in local well respected nurseries. Another option is to order dormant bare root roses from mail order companies in late winter/early spring. The packing material needs to come/stay moist and stored in a cool dark place until planting. Roses require a minimum of 6 hours of sun a day and they especially like morning sunlight. In the upper Midwest, it is best to plant them in full sun to maximize blooms. Because of their sensitivity to cold temperatures consider planting your roses close to your house foundation to ensure more warmth and protection from freezing winds. Roses don’t like wet cold feet so make sure they are in loamy well-drained pH neutral (6.5) soil. I have visited many public gardens during our travels and roses always seem to grow best in coastal areas where they enjoy sandy soil and sunny warm balmy weather. As such, most of our local soil requires amending for successful rose gardening. Adequate air circulation helps to avoid powdery/downy mildew so plant them far enough apart.
Bare root roses require soaking for 8-12 hours before planting and established plants need their roots loosened before being put in the ground. Established plants require cane pruning to 3-5 buds and you should remove all branches smaller than a pencil in diameter. Your planting hole should be twice the size of your plant which ensures enough space for adequate soil amendment and early growth. After planting soak your roses well and mound loose soil around each plant for protection while they acclimate; mulch as well avoiding the stem area of the plant. Roses require bi-weekly deep watering especially during dry summer seasons. Reduce watering after blooming in the fall but don’t let them dry out as they should go into winter moist but not wet. To avoid pests, natural fertilizers are suggested during the growing/blooming season but a balanced fertilizer once a month is also considered good practice. There are all kinds of supplementary feeding practices discussed in the world of rose gardening. Planting with gypsum board provides calcium, rusty nails provide iron, Epsom salts provide magnesium sulfate & banana peels also provide calcium sulfur, magnesium and phosphates, all things roses love. There is more on this subject to be found online along with good advice on pruning practices. This all makes me want to try my hand at rose gardening next season, but wait, did I mention I already pulled 5 rose plants out of my beds that the landscaper put in five years ago and replaced them with perennial grasses which I am much happier with. So many things to think about in the gardening world and so little time!