How to Care for Rose Bushes

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Roses have a history that goes back millions of years. Their simple, eloquent beauty has been the subject and metaphor for many poets and songwriters. Holidays and romance would be lacking without the inclusion of the rose. Even part time gardeners will very likely find themselves eventually wanting a rose bush in their own landscape. While roses may look very delicate, growing them is actually much easier than you might think at first glance.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Appropriate space for growing a rose bush
A method of protecting plant from aphids and other pests
Pruning clippers and thick gardening gloves
A favorite vase

Education, Preparation, and Appreciation!

Step1

Understanding a few simple basics of growing roses will benefit you greatly. First and foremost, you should find out what planting zone you live in. This is important when growing any plant, roses included. Each region's climate will dictate everything from which variety of rose to select to how much sun and spacing they will require. Any local nursery can give you this information or you can simply go to any online rose society or online retailer that specializes in roses. You will also want to familiarize yourself with common pests and the options for addressing them. Aphids are a common problem for roses but they are easily addressed, especially if caught early on.

Step2

When preparing a place in your landscaping for roses, be sure you dedicate an area that can get a minimum of 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight each day. As with most plants, roses love morning sunlight so if you can provide that, all the better. Be careful not to select an area that is very near to large trees, shrubs or other root-invasive plants. The roses will have to compete with these plants for moisture, sunlight and growing space. Avoiding this problem from the beginning is another way to help insure that your roses will have the opportunity to bear their very best blooms. Also avoid planting roses directly underneath gutters, as the water pressure can damage blooms and stems.

Step3

Selecting the rose bush that you want is the fun part and the hard part! There are so many lovely choices and it can be difficult to choose. Roses have come to symbolize many things, depending upon their color. Of course, the red rose commonly symbolizes love. White roses symbolize purity and humility. Do a little research on the symbolism of roses if you want yours to have a personal meaning. Otherwise, you might consider a rose color that is complimentary to the other plants in your landscaping. There is a plethora of colors and multi-colored hybrids to choose from.

Step4

When planting your bare root rose bush, plant a hole approximately 3 to 4 inches deeper than the top of the root ball. Place about 3 inches of rich humus or quality planting soil in the hole. Add water to the hole and wait for it to soak in. Gently tease the roots and center the bush in the hole. Fill in around the plant with more planting soil, firmly compacting the soil around the plant enough to anchor it. Add mulch around the plant to help hold in the moisture. If you select a cedar mulch it can help guard against some insects. Next, gently water in the plant with a light soaking. Continue to water in the rose bush every 2 days for a week. At the end of the first week, fertilize the rose bush. In the future you'll need to fertilize after your rose bush blooms.

Step5

A gentle and effective way to help guard against aphids and other pests is to spray the rose bush with a solution of water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. The best defense is to let nature do the work for you. If you have an orb weaver or similar spider near your bush, it can be your rose's best friend! For more aggressive pest treatments, contact your local nursery or county co-op for advice.Once you bring those first gorgeous cuttings into your home you'll be so glad you ventured into the world of rose lovers! Don't be afraid of pruning, watering and fertilizing your roses. They're much hardier than their spectacular blooms reveal.

Tips & Warnings

Save used coffee grounds to place around the base of your roses.
Banana peels buried under the mulch are the growing "secret" of some rose gardeners.
Prune your roses regularly to insure that they grow full and bloom often.
Be sure you use leather gloves when working with roses to avoid injury.