Every gardener wants roses, of course. And, after 30 years of growing them, I am prepared to swear every gardener can have them without much trouble. That is if he buys a good stock, locates plants, winter-protects, prunes, feeds them properly, and takes action against pests and disease.
This sounds formidable, but it is not. Let me prove it.
The Stock
First, the stock. Buy a few good, healthy plants. There are many reliable mail-order firms on which you can depend. Look at them. The difference between their well-grown, robust plants and bargain-basement stock is vast.
The first may cost a bit more but will produce for years. Many roses over 20 years old in my garden still carry exhibition-caliber blooms.
The Location
Second, the location. There is a saying among rose growers that roses are like their own company. Mix them with other plants, and you are courting trouble. This may or may not be so.
Locating plants in an open, well-drained spot where air hits them is excellent. This is probably the most important rule of my seven-point program. It is surprising how pests and diseases are cut down by nothing more magical than plenty of fresh air.
The Planting
Third, the planting. Your plants will have root systems wrapped in moss or something else that retains moisture.
If you cannot set them in the ground immediately, wet the moss thoroughly, cover plants with a wet sack, and keep them in the shade until you get to them. Obviously, the sooner you do, the better.
Much has been said pros and cons of spring and fall planting. However, my experience says which season you plant roses is far less important than how.
Make the hole large enough to accommodate roots comfortably. Dig it two spades deep. Keep topsoil separate from the soil beneath it.
Now half-fill the hole with compost. If you have none, try a dodge often used by English gardeners: turn over a thick piece of grassy turf and drop it into the bottom of the hole.
It rots as time goes by and becomes humus. Mix a cup or two of bonemeal with the topsoil. This centuries-old fertilizer, rich in phosphates and calcium, promotes vigor but does not burn tender roots.
Firm the compost. Sprinkle a 2” to 3” inch layer of topsoil over it. Try your plant for depth. The completed job should see the crown (the point at which the plant was budded) about an inch below ground level.
Position the plant in the hole. Spread out the roots. Pour soil between and over them until the spot is about half-full—firm soil around plants with your heel. Pour a bucket of water into the hole.
When it has soaked down, fill the gap almost to the bed level and firm again so roots are snuggled in the soil, and all air pockets are eliminated.
Winter Protection
Fourth, winter protection. Where I live, in Vancouver on the Pacific Coast, winter protection of any kind is seldom necessary.
Where frosts are severe, it is, especially in the case of hybrid teas. Hitting soil, from the bed, around each hybrid tea suffices except where winters are harsh indeed.
You do this before winter sets in and remove the hill gradually as spring approaches, not all at once.
Remember, the amount of winter protection varies with conditions. Consult your county agent or a local rosarian if your needs are unusual.
Pruning
Fifth, pruning, In Vancouver, we prune in March when spring growth starts—here, pruning consists of cutting away all dead or weak wood and keeping the center of the plant open.
A good rule of thumb is to cut back all remaining stems (after removing dead and weak ones) to about one-third of the previous year’s growth.
Many experts barely cut stems back. Others prune severely, sacrificing quantity, they say, for quality. So do not be afraid to prune.
But, if you are a beginner, play it cautious, and stick to the one-third of the previous year’s growth rule.
It will give you a good display. Cut just above the outside eye. New growth will extend out of this eye, and you will get a well-balanced plant.
Feeding
Sixth, feeding. Use bonemeal, as I suggested, when you plant, then do not feed roses again until the second growing season.
By withholding food, you will induce roots to work, spread out, expand, and get established quickly.
Later use manure, if you can get it, or a balanced commercial fertilizer. Use the latter precisely by directions and keep it off stems and foliage. Most commercial fertilizers are potent, so it is unwise to ignore their suggestions.
Pests And Disease
Seventh, pests and disease. Some rose growers spray, some dust. I am a confirmed duster. I laid aside my spraying equipment ten years ago and never regretted it. Dusting is much easier. Or so it seems to me.
There are many fine all-purpose specks of dust on the market. Unfortunately, most are packed in containers that serve as guns.
When leaves are forming early in the rose growing season, cover plants with dust, choosing a time when there is no wind, so the dust settles with minimal waste. Try to get dust on every leaf, on both sides.
You can do this by aiming from the base of the plant. Dust again when leaves are fully formed. And this does it. Later, if a shoot is covered with aphids, get your gun out and let them have it. It is as easy as that.
44659 by Ernest S. Rippon