How to Grow Roses

Roses have an undeserved reputation for being fussy, hard-to-care-for plants. Some roses do require more maintenance than others, but growing roses is something even a beginner can do.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Garden Hoses And Attachments
• Garden Shears
• Liquid Fertilizers
• Loppers
• Mulch
• Organic Fungicides
• Pesticides
• Rose Bushes
• Watering Cans
• Burlap

1. Prune roses in winter or early spring once the rose starts to show signs of new growth, usually in the form of tiny red buds swelling. These buds will become new branches.

2. Cut out any obviously dead or damaged branches first. Then cut out all but four or five healthy main stems.

3. Cut the stems back by a third to a half, depending on how tall you want the bush to be. Make these cuts right above an outward-facing bud - that is, a red bud that's on the outside of the rosebush. This directs the bud to grow up and out, leaving the center of the rose bush open for a prettier shape and better air circulation.

4. Start fertilizing roses regularly at the start of the growing season. Roses are hungry plants, demanding lots of nutrients for best growth and flowering. Fertilize roses with a liquid fertilizer every three to four weeks during the growing season or according to package directions.

5. Water diligently. Roses need a steady source of water during the growing season, about 1 inch a week from rain or watering. In arid regions of the country, consider installing a drip irrigation system.

6. Mulch. Roses need less weeding and watering and have fewer diseases if you lay down 1 to 2 inches of organic mulch, such as wood chips, pine needles, grass clippings or other biodegradable material.

7. Deadhead. This simply means trimming off spent roses to encourage the bush to produce more. While some roses bloom only in one big flush in June, others are bred to keep producing off and on all season long.

8. Spray. If your rose bush becomes diseased or has an insect infestation, you may want to deal with it by spraying. (Try simply trimming off the affected portion of the plant and giving the buggy plant a good strong blast from a hose.) Identify the problem by trimming off the affected part and taking it to a reliable garden center, where the staff can prescribe the correct treatment.

9. Stop fertilizing roses in early autumn, at least one month before your region's first annual frost date. Fertilizing too long into autumn encourages roses to produce tender new growth that will get nipped by cold.

10. Protect roses as needed in late autumn, after your region's first hard freeze. In regions where temperatures don't fall below 20 degrees F, no additional winter protection is needed. In cooler regions where temperatures don't fall below 10 degrees F below zero, a simple mounding of several inches of soil over the base of the rose should suffice. In cold-winter regions where temperatures get colder than 10 degrees F below zero, mound to about a foot about a month after your region's last average frost date; additionally, two weeks later, the entire plant should be wrapped in burlap to protect the upper parts.

Tips & Warnings

• Use sharp hand shears for most pruning. To cut branches more than 1/2 inch thick, use long-handled loppers.

• Many 'landscape' or shrub roses do not require the typical pruning described in the steps. Instead, simply shear them back by a third.

• If your rose is a climbing or rambling rose, prune with caution. Some will bloom only on old wood from the previous year.

• Each rose grower has his or her own favorite feeding method. One of the easiest is to buy a slow-release granular rose food and work it into the soil so it can feed the plant all season long.

• Read pesticide and fungicide labels carefully. Even organic products can be hazardous if used incorrectly, so follow package directions to the letter.

• It's best to avoid those white plastic cones for winter rose protection. Not only do they look unattractive, but they also can trap heat during a late-winter thaw, harming the rose.

Resources

• All America Rose Selections
• Wikipedia Rose page