Rose Bushes - Planting Pruning and Pictures

Ask someone to name a flower, and the first one that will most likely come to mind is a rose. Rose gardens are beautiful and abundant. Planted and pruned correctly, rose bushes will produce many blooms for you over the growing season, from early spring until hard frost. Many wonder if there is a special trick to successful gardening of these flowers. While it is true that you must take specific care of most types of rose bushes to prevent disease and pests, and to encourage healthy growth, one does not need to be a master gardener.

Before discussing planting and care, you should decide what type of rose you wish to install in your garden. The most popular variety is a Hybrid Tea, but these are also often the most difficult for which to care. Hybrids produce a large flower on a stem that is usually long and straight. Other options include Floribunda and Grandiflora. Floribunda is a cross between a Hybrid Tea and a Polyantha, which is a plant that produces small clusters of flowers. Grandifloras create large clusters of blooms. Among these general types, you can find miniature rose bushes, climbing varieties, and tree/topiaries.

According to Wikipedia, there are more than 100 varieties of wild roses that grow primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. These plants prefer a temperate region.

Hybrid Teas are produced by cross-pollinating two different rose plants. Originating in 1867 in France, they are now the best-selling cut flower. Roses are given unique names for celebrities, royalty or popular virtues. The most popular Hybrid Tea is a white rose named "Peace." For a list of popular Hybrid Teas, listed by color, click here.

Roses need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, thorough watering, a soil pH of 6.5 to 6.8, fertilizing, and proper pruning and disease/pest prevention. Experts advise that your rose bushes get morning, as opposed to afternoon, sun. This is important for two reasons. First, early exposure to sunlight will allow morning dew to dry off leaves as soon as possible, to prevent black spot and other types of mildew. Second, it is better for your plants to avoid the hottest part of the day, if possible. Roses require regular watering to keep them healthy and thriving. A little shade later in the day can cut down on the amount of water required, and also result in less stress.

Whether you are planting already established rose plants, or bare roots, the planting method is generally the same. Be aware, however, that bare root roses will be less expensive than their counterparts. The primary difference in care is the additional pruning you will have to do to get the plants established.

Start with determining the best location for your plants as discussed above. Make sure that they will get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Now, dig a hole at least 1-1/2 feet in depth. Add soil amendment in a cone shape, at least 3 inches thick. Mix in the amendment to the regular soil, digging at least another 1/2 foot in depth. Roses grow well with bone meal, so add an appropriate amount to the hole, or use fertilizer marketed for rose plants. Make sure that everything is combined well. Now, prepare to plant your rose. You will need a square hole sized approximately 2 feet on each side in which to place the plant.

If you are putting in bare root rose plants, be sure to cut down the height of the canes to at least 8 inches, and removed any damaged or diseased roots. The pruning is necessary to promote growth, even if it seems a bit extreme. The mounded soil within the hole in which you will plant your shrub serves to direct root growth in the proper direction, to avoid shallow establishment.

Be sure to allow for plenty of air circulation around your plants. Roses need 3-4 feet of spacing between each one.

Humidity and water are one of the primary causes of blackspot, mildew and rust, fungal diseases that are common to roses. Ways to prevent or control these issues include, watering from below (don't water from top because the leaves get wet), getting rid of "infected" leaves from the base of the plants by raking and disposing of them as soon as possible. Also, be sure to cut back infected canes to make sure that disease doesn't spread to the rest of the plant. Treatment is advised as soon as possible.

You may consider fungicides for control (although rust usually only occurs on the West Coast). Applied early in spring, whenever rain is forecasted, you may want to spray it on your rose plants through the growing season until frost. Fungicides registered for black spot control include propiconazole (e.g. Banner), thiophanane methyl (e.g. Cleary 3336), chlorothalonil (e.g. Daconil 2787), mancozeb (e.g. Fore, Dithane, or Maneb), thiophanate methyl + mancozeb (e.g. Zyban), trifloxystrobin (e.g. Compass) and myclobutanil (e.g. Systhane). If you want to go the organic route, you can make your own solution with 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in a quart of water. Add a few drops of liquid soap to help it cling to the foliage, and spray infected plants thoroughly.

There are some roses that are more resistant to fungal diseases. See the list below, adapted from R.C. Lambe:

Hybrid Teas

Canadian White Star

Chablis

Duet

Electron

Elmhurst

Lady

Lady Rose

Lady X

Maid of Honor

Mikado

Miss All American Beauty

Modern Art

Mon Cheri

Nantucket

Olympiad

Otto Miller

Pascale

Polarstern

Red Devil

Voo Doo

Wimi

Grandifloras

Love

Prima Donna

Much more can be written about these garden favorites. One Hub simply cannot do the rose bush justice! We'll follow up with a single article each on types of roses, best locations in which to grow them, pests, and organic fertilizers. In the meantime, if you have one (or more) of these plants in your yard, be sure to tend to them on a daily basis. Watering, examining the leaves for disease and looking out for aphids, earwigs, or other common bugs that can destroy your roses is necessary for the best results. Enjoy these beautiful flowers!

If reading about Rose Bushes has brought out your "green" thumb, you can find many more exciting, environmental articles at www.peachygreen.com. I'll see you over there!