Every year, from spring until fall, our garden is visited by rose lovers from all parts of the country. They come singly, and they come in groups, small groups, and large groups.
Some stay only a few minutes, some stay for hours, and some stay for days. And all of them, I think, ask questions.
The questions asked probably would add up to just about everything that could be asked about roses.
Essentially, though, almost every one of them is a specific question belonging to one or the other of two main generic questions: why do we grow roses, or rather why do we grow so many roses (over 5,000 plants in over 3,000 species and varieties), and how do we grow roses.
I don’t suppose I could tell the whole truth about why or how we grow roses no matter how hard I might try or how long I might take trying.
But I think it’ll be worth the effort to try to at least summarize the why and the how of the hobby that has become the full-time nonprofit (in the monetary sense) occupation of both myself and my good wife since I retired from business a dozen years ago.
First: Why I Grow Roses
The rose, for me, is the most beautiful of all flowers. Its sheer loveliness defies both description and comparison.
And I’m sure it has always been similarly regarded by countless others, for since the dawn of history, it has been the most adored flower in all the arts and crafts, in song, in poetry, and in everyday romance.
Some 2000 years ago, the Greek poetess Sappho called the rose the Queen of Flowers, and there has never since been even a close rival for the title.
Uses Of Roses
The flower of the rose is delightful in all stages of development, from tight bud to fully opened bloom, and it is long-lasting both on the plant and when cut.
I think it is closer to perfection for flower arrangements and cut-flower use in general than any other flower. In size, roses range from about half an inch across in some miniatures to more than 6″ inches across in some hybrid teas.
Their color range is greater than any other flower except perhaps the dahlia. And I’m sure their fragrance is the favorite of more people than anything else in the world.
As garden plants, too, roses are unequaled for attractiveness and adaptability.
- The smallest miniature roses, only a few inches tall, are among the most delightful of rock garden plants;
- The hybrid teas and floribundas are deservedly the overwhelming favorites among medium-sized perennials;
- The largest shrub types grow into great magnificent specimens over a dozen feet high and equally broad;
- The more vigorous rose climbers develop into glorious “vines” that will make a gay cover for the side of a house.
The hybrid teas and floribundas bloom over a longer period than any other major garden plant, from late May till late October in most parts of the country. With some of the early flowering shrub types, you can have roses in bloom for seven months of the year.
Even though most climbers and rose shrubs do not bloom continuously, their flowering period is equal to any of the important perennials, and a few other garden subjects surpass the number of blooms produced.
Long-Lived Plants
Roses, again, are long-lived plants. If well chosen for their location, and if properly planted and cared for, they last for years. The sturdiest of them, in the right spot, can be counted on to outlive the person who plants them.
So even good rose plants are costlier than the more ordinary garden plants. They still represent the best possible long-term investment.
Tolerance of Variety of Soil And Climatic Conditions
Roses, again, are long-lived plants. They last for years if they are well chosen for their location and if properly planted and cared for.
In the right spot, the sturdiest of them can be counted on to outlive the person who plants them.
So even good rose plants are costlier than the more ordinary garden plants. Nevertheless, they still represent the best possible long-term investment.
Great Opportunities on Roses
For the person who is inclined to specialize, whether as a perfectionist, grower, collector, flower show exhibitor, hybridist, or what have you, no plant offers greater opportunities than the rose. There’s no limit to the nature or degree of specialization that rose to grow affords.
Collecting old roses, both species, and hybrids, has long been our specialty, and since so many roses have been developed over the ages, we’ve had an almost unlimited field.
As already stated, we’ve rounded up over 3,000 species and varieties, which, we have on good authority, is probably the largest collection in the United States and one of the largest in the world.
In recent years, too, we’ve been doing considerable hybridizing aimed at producing greater stamina without sacrificing floral quality. Last year we made about 3,500 crosses.
Bond Of Rose Lovers
The bond of fellowship that exists among rose lovers, I think, has no equivalent anywhere. The American Rose Society, with over 10,000 members, is not only the largest of all special plant societies; its benefits to members are unequaled. Nothing is so valuable on a motor trip.
I think, as the A.R.S. Members’ Handbook lists the society’s membership geographically and provides hundreds of addresses where we are sure to be welcome and are sure to find something of interest. The more roses and rose growers we see, the more we like roses!
In the previous brief paragraphs, I’ve tried to outline the “why” of our rose growing. I’ve not exhausted the subject by any means, of course. Still, I hope I’ve gotten enough on paper to justify our enthusiasm for rose growing and initiate a similar, if not quite so strong, enthusiasm in at least a fair number of FLOWER GROWER readers.
Now as to: How I Grow Roses
To begin with, let me say that roses have quite a few definite “likes” and “dislikes,” but at the same time they’re considerably more tolerant than some experienced rose growers seem to think.
You can convince yourself of this by conning the writings of a half dozen or so successful growers or by referring to the cultural directions in the most recent of rose publications, this year’s catalogs.
On some points of rose growing, you’ll find general agreement; on others you’ll find considerable disagreement.
Well-Drained Soil
One point on which everyone agrees, and I think there can be no ifs, ands, or buts, is that the soil in which roses are to be grown should be reasonably well drained. They simply won’t do well in a waterlogged location.
But that doesn’t mean roses like desert conditions, either. They don’t! However, any “reasonably good” garden soil will grow roses satisfactorily.
Amount Of Sunlight
Another point on which there’s general agreement is that roses need a fairly generous amount of sunlight.
In most parts of the country, they do well either in full sunlight or in locations where the sun reaches them at least half the day.
Some varieties do moderately well under less favorable conditions, but in constant shade, none do well, and many do not live at all.
Our soil is of a rather heavy, clayey texture, but it drains well, and all types of roses do well in it. Most plants are in full sun, but some are partly shaded.
When To Plant Roses
On the question of when to plant roses, there’s agreement all right, but it’s among two different groups of advocates – those who advocate spring planting and those who advocate fall planting!
The former emphasizes that by spring planting, you lessen the risk of winter killing and the latter stress that a fall-planted rose is better established when spring growth gets underway.
Both arguments are valid, but neither should be allowed to change your mind whether your plans call for rose planting in April or next October.
If you plant this spring, though, be sure your plants are not allowed to dry out all spring and summer; if you plant in the fall, protect your plants adequately for the winter.
Plant Rose In Spring
We plant roses both in the spring and in the fall, and we get good results either way. Our favorite system, however, is to buy them in the fall, heel them in for the winter (i.e., lay them in a sloping trench and completely cover them with soil), and plant them in their permanent location early in the spring.
By this method, we can obtain a better selection of varieties from the growers, we avoid winter losses in our severe climate, and our plants are in better condition when we plant them than they would be if they had been wintered in a nurseryman’s storage cellar.
Main Factors On How To Plant Roses
The question of how to plant roses involves two main factors – soil preparation and depth to plant.
As regards soil preparation, the old idea that the soil must first be dug to a depth of 2′ or 3′ feet has exploded, and nowadays, practically everyone agrees that digging to the depth of the spade or fork, i.e., about a foot, is just as good if not better.
If the soil is known to be deficient in organic matter, it’s good first to spread an inch or two of well-rotted manure, compost, or peat moss and to turn this under when digging.
The distance apart to plant roses depends, of course, upon the size the varieties will attain. Most hybrid teas and floribundas should be spaced a good 2′ feet apart, and none should be closer than 18 inches apart.
Miniatures can be as close as 6″ or 8″ inches apart, while the largest shrubs need 5′ to 10′ feet between them.
How Deep To Plant?
There’s a good deal of disagreement among experts as to the correct depth to plant roses. If you consult the literature or the catalogs, you’ll find recommendations for placing the plant with the bud union anywhere from 2″ inches below the surface of the soil to 3″ inches above it.
(The bud-union, incidentally, is the knob on the stem where the scion, or variety, is budded (grafted) to the stock. or root.)
There’s something to be said for both above-surface and below-surface planting. As a general rule, it’s advisable to be guided by the severity of the winter in your area and the amount of protection you expect to give your plants.
To encourage the growth of the much-desired strong basal shoots, which come from the bud-union area, it’s best not to plant too deeply.
In fact, these shoots are produced more freely if the union is above the surface or only slightly below it.
On the other hand, in areas Where the winters are severe, losses will be considerably less if the bud union is an inch below the surface.
My recommendation, therefore, is that if your climate is mild. Winter protection is unnecessary, or if you are sufficiently ambitious to protect your roses by piling up a generous mound of earth around each plant (a foot or higher, that is), you’ll do best to plant them with the bud-union just a little above the soil surface.
Correct Depth
When you plant a rose, be sure to dig a hole large enough and deep enough to spread the roots out completely.
The correct depth, depending on the size of the plant, will be such as to allow you to work a good handful of complete fertilizer into the bottom, cover this with an inch of soil so that the fertilizer is not in contact with the roots, and then spread the roots out at the proper depth to leave the bud-union in the correct position about the soil surface.
After placing the roots, fill in the hole with part of the soil you dug out, tramp it down firmly with your feet, fill the depression with water, and after the water is soaked away, fill in with the rest of the soil but do not tramp it.
Before you plant your rose, prune out any weak, spindly shoots on the plant, and prune back the main stems to about half their original length.
Planting Potted Roses
Sometimes we’re confronted with the problem of replacing roses that have died during the winter but are not known to be dead until it is too late to obtain dormant plants. In such cases, potted roses are the obvious answer.
Potted roses should only be purchased from thoroughly reliable nurserymen – not from someone you “wouldn’t put it past” to mutilate the root system to get the plant into the pot!
You’ll usually find that the roots have been wound spirally in the pot in properly potted roses. These spirally packed roots should be unwound and spread out when planting them in the garden.
If the soil is thoroughly soaked after planting and the plant is protected from sun and wind for a few days, it will show ill effects even though moved from pot to garden in full bloom during the hottest weather.
Weed Control
Since none of the chemical weed killers far developed can be used on rose beds, the problem of weed control makes us choose either regular, shallow cultivation or mulching. Unfortunately, with all our plants, we have to depend largely on mulches.
Besides controlling weeds, incidentally, a good mulch builds up the soil, conserves moisture, and prevents black spot disease on our plants to a remarkable extent.
Practical Mulch Materials
Perhaps the most attractive and practical mulch materials are lawn clippings and buckwheat hulls.
You may need quite a lot of either, however, since the former disintegrates rather fast and the latter may tend to blow away if you’re in a windy location.
When and How to Fertilize
How much and how often to fertilize roses depends largely upon the soil in which they’re planted – whether it’s naturally fertile, whether it’s heavy or light (which determines whether nutrients leach out of it slowly or rapidly), whether it is also feeding the roots of nearby trees, and so on.
The kind of fertilizer to use for roses will likewise depend upon these factors and, to a sonic extent, whether you want your plants to grow as large as possible or produce as many flowers as possible.
Nitrogen, for instance, promotes plant growth, while phosphorus promotes flower production.
Fertilize Twice a Year
We usually have to fertilize only about twice a year, right after the protective mounds are removed in the spring and again a month or six weeks later. Our more vigorous species’ anti-varieties, though, are only fertilized once or not at all.
Since we don’t like to encourage too much lush growth, which oftentimes is more susceptible to disease, we depend mostly upon phosphorus fertilizer, i.e., superphosphate. Bone Meal provides the same element but is slower acting though longer lasting.
Most average gardeners, growing chiefly hybrid tea and floribunda roses, wouldn’t go far wrong to give their roses a light application (not much heavier than you’d sprinkle salt on a steak) of “complete” fertilizer in early spring and once a month thereafter until July. From then on, no fertilizer should be used.
Control Insect Pests And Disease
Insect pests and diseases of roses are quite easy to control with present-day Insecticides and fungicides.
There are numerous all-purpose sprays and dust, some of them prepared specially for roses, which can be wholeheartedly recommended for home garden use.
Due to the large size of our rose garden and the relatively high cost of prepared mixtures, we rely on the old standard.
44659 by Roy E. Shepherd