How to Grow Exhibition Roses
Growing exhibition roses is more than just a hobby -- it's a lifestyle. An exhibition rose is judiciously manicured and pampered to produce blooms of such perfection they seem to be sculpted. Exhibition growers have their favorite rose bushes and specialty techniques. To grow exhibition roses you need to grow many kinds of roses of varieties that do best in your zone. Many root stocks claim to be exhibition roses and prize winning growers can offer rootstock suggestions, but the suitability and care of the flowers is a more critical element than the breed of rose. There are infinite varieties to chose from in the floribunda, miniature, hybrid tea, miniflora, old garden and single rose breeds. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sand
- Potting soil with mycorrhizae
- 25-gallon pots
- Water-holding crystals
- Exhibition variety rose
- Mulch
- Organic time release rose food
- Water
- Pruners
- Spray bottle
- Bleach
- Fish meal
- Fish emulsion
- Liquid seaweed foliar feed
- Epsom salts
- Insecticidal soap
- Fungicide
Instructions
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Make a rose mix of two parts potting soil and one part sand. The sand will impart grit for good drainage. Put 3 or 4 inches of this mix in the bottom of the pot and then mix in 1 cup of water holding crystals. These are biodegradable but will help hold in moisture. Roses are very particular about water. They need a lot but cannot have wet roots.
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2
Remove the rose from its container and spread the roots out. Set the rose in the pot to gauge how much soil you will need to raise the stem up to within 1/2 inch of the rim. Remove the rose and add the required amount of soil. Place the rose back in the pot and back fill with the potting mixture up to an inch of the rim. Press the soil around the roots to remove air pockets.
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3
Place the pot in a sunny location and spread 1 inch of mulch around the plant's root area. Do not pile mulch up around the trunk or it could rot. Mulching add nutrition to the soil slowly and protects against weeds. Every three months spread 1 cup of time release rose food around the top of the soil. It will disperse naturally as you water.
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4
Water the rose daily in summer. You will be fertilizing a lot, so to prevent salt build-up, water until the drainage holes leak moisture for 15 minutes once per week. On a daily basis give the plants enough water to moisten 18 inches of soil. You can dig a hole to check until you have done it enough times to know how much water that is. Water from under the foliage in an area several inches away from the trunk.
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5
Prune off lateral flowers when they form. Only allow the tall straight canes to flower. Use a spray bottle filled with water and 1 tsp. of bleach to disinfect the pruners between cuts so you do not spread pathogens. When pruning in late winter or early spring, cut the canes that are 1/2 inch thick. Cut them at an angle 1/4 inch above an outside bud. These are around the periphery of the plant and can be seen as a little scar or felt as a bump.
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6
Work fish meal into the soil every other week in the amount the package recommends. Add fish emulsion to water every other week. Make a half-strength dilution again according to directions. In a clean 1 quart spray bottle, fill with water and add 1/8 cup of fish emulsion. Shake it up and apply monthly to the rose foliage as a foliar feed. Work 1 cup Epsom salts into the soil three times annually for the magnesium sulfate it provides.
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7
Apply an insecticidal soap at the first sign of pests. A fungal program should be followed from spring until fall. The fungicide should be formulated to control powdery mildew and black spot. Apply it weekly in the amounts recommended by the manufacturer.
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References
- Pacific Rose Society: The Joys of Growing Exhibition Roses
- Santa Clara Valley Rose Society: Keeping a Full Bank of Exhibition Roses
- New Mexico State University: Growing Roses
- Arizona Cooperative Extension: Prune and Fertilize Roses Now for Fall Bloom
- Royal National Rose Society: Now You've Seen the Show-Fancy Having a Go?
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
