The Care of Shrub Roses

Shrub roses are attractive and low-maintenance, but not necessarily care-free.

Shrub roses are low-maintenance, hardy roses that give gardeners the same scent and look of traditional roses, but with a little less work. The care of shrub roses is an easy undertaking when compared to the care of many other flowers, including regular roses. Like all garden flowers, however, shrub roses do require some attention and care if they're going to stay healthy in your outdoor areas.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Garden hose
• Manure/bonemeal/soybean meal
• 10-10-10 fertilizer
• Grass clippings/wood chips

Instructions

1. Plant shrub roses in early spring in an area where they will receive four to six hours of sunlight every day. Roses should be in well-draining soil. Plant the bud union of the plant an inch below the soil surface, and spread out the roots before putting them into the ground.

2. Water freshly planted shrub roses thoroughly with a garden hose and create a soil mound -- 6 inches deep -- over the planting area. Proper planting of shrub roses is essential to maintaining the health of the plant. Remove the soil mound after 10 days, leveling the soil once more.

3. Water shrub roses once a week if they do not receive 1 inch of natural rainfall weekly. Before roses begin to grow, water them overhead to imitate natural rain. Once growth begins, you can spray the water directly onto the surface of the soil.

4. Spread up to 1 inch of manure, bonemeal or soybean meal in shrub rose beds in early spring to provide rich fertilizer.

5. Fertilize roses regularly with 10-10-10 fertilizer one month after the initial spring manure/meal application, then continue to fertilize once a month until August.

6. Water the ground thoroughly after each fertilizer application.

7. Place a 3-inch layer of grass clippings or wood chips around shrub roses in mid-August.

8. Prune shrub roses in early spring, not fall, cutting away any broken or damaged canes to encourage new, healthy growth.

Tips & Warnings

• You don't need to cover shrub roses covered for winter protection; they are hardy enough to survive without winterizing.

References

• Johnson's Nursery: Fall Care of Shrub Roses
• University of Illinois Extension: "Outstanding New Shrub Roses"; Sandra Mason; March 1998
• University of Minnesota Extension: "Culture of Garden Roses"; Mervin C. Eisel and Mary H. Meyer; 2009

Resources

• Northern Gardening: Choosing the Best Hardy Shrub Roses for Your Northern Landscape
• Fine Gardening Magazine: How to Prune Shrub Roses
• Fertilizing, Pruning and Winterizing Roses: Fertilizing, Pruning and Winterizing Roses