HOW TO CARE FOR
YOUR ROSE
From feeding to pruning
Rose Pruning
David Squire writes in his fine book Pruning, “Regrettably,
there has developed a mystique about pruning roses that has
deterred many gardeners from growing them, and yet these floriferous
shrubs are some of the most tolerant of all garden shrubs
to bad pruning.”
I offer as brief a synopsis as possible. Pruning should be
done in the late fall or early spring. Take care not to cut
too close to a bud; about a quarter of an inch above an outward
facing bud, cutting down and away from the bud on a 45 degree
angle. Too far above the bud allows dead tissue to develop
disease; too close and there won’t be enough stem to
support the bud.
When to prune
Now that you know how to prune, you need to know when. Generally
we should prune Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and Floribundas
in very early spring. A good rule of thumb is to do it when
the forsythia is in bloom. The first task is to eliminate
suckers that have started below the soil. Most roses today
are grafted onto rootstock that won’t look anything
like the rose you want.
Then we need to eliminate dead wood. Cut gradually back along
the cane until you hit white healthy pith. Next we want to
select three or four canes that will form the frame of the
plant. Cut everything else off entirely. Now cut those canes
back to between 6 and 12 inches. If the rose is healthy and
in fertile soil, then leaving canes around a foot long should
develop a good plant. If the plant has been neglected and
gotten leggy, or if you are planting a new rose, then cutting
back to the six-inch mark should encourage strong new canes
from the base.
Never hard prune Floribundas as they don’t break well
from old wood. Climbers should have their laterals cut back
to three or four eyes and any new canes breaking from the
base should be eliminated (unless you want to develop a new
cane). Species roses (and most shrubs) should be tip pruned
each fall. This will encourage new growth from the base. In
the spring cut out the laterals and the old canes, leaving
the new canes from the previous year (the ones that didn’t
flower). Always cut dead or diseased wood and always use some
judgment. If a plant doesn’t appear vigorous then pruning
it to a nub probably won’t help it much. Use discretion.
Certain types of standard roses or pillars require special
techniques. As always the dead wood must go, along with any
weak or crossed branches. The rest should be cut back to six
eyes or so and half that on laterals. On pillar grown roses
you should grow the plant up on support. Cut back all the
laterals and select canes evenly around the pillar. When the
pillar is established cut out all old wood and select the
previous year’s canes.
Feeding and Care
Roses are hungry feeders. You should fertilize with a food
that is a little heavier on the phosphorus (middle number
in the three). Improving the soil is recommended to increase
the water and fertilizer retention. While species and shrub
roses will make do with most any soil, Hybrid Teas need a
highly fertile and organic soil to do well at all. Manure,
mushroom compost, or any other highly organic additives are
a necessity for a good Hybrid Tea rose. A good organic mulch
will go a long way towards improving the soil fertility from
year to year, as well as increasing water retention. DO NOT
use wood chips or a poorly composted bark product. These require
nitrogen to decompose and will rob your rose of nutrients.
If you have been looking for a reason to start a compost
pile, there is no better reason than mulching. Compost will
actually add nutrients to the soil along with beneficial microbes.
A quick scratch with a hoe will easily eliminate any weeds
and keep the soil loose and fluffy. Roses detest any sort
of competition so do not fall prey to the temptation of planting
closely around roses. Dusting with rose powder is recommended
for tea roses to keep off black spot and powdery mildew. These
can be fatal diseases for your average Hybrid Tea rose, although
not a big problem for your shrub and species roses. Many of
the newer roses are bred specifically for disease resistance.
Over-wintering
Most manuals will tell you to do a late pruning, and then
if you’re in a cold winter climate (generally defined
as Zone 6 and below), you should pile mulch or soil up around
the canes to help the plant live through the winter. Stakes
around the plant with a wrapping of burlap will provide a
good shelter, as would pine boughs or some other evergreen
branches. It is especially important to protect the bud union
(where the top scion meets the rootstock). This should be
done just after the ground has frozen. Tree roses should be
tipped and buried or grown in a patio container that can be
over wintered in a sheltered area.
There's a rose for every gardener
Most of the information provided here applies specifically
to Hybrid Teas although all roses are going to thrive with
this kind of care. Decide (realistically!) how much effort
you are going to put into your roses.
Think of it as getting a new puppy. While (thankfully) the
rose won’t mess your carpets or chew your slippers,
it will require regular attention and a modicum of effort
to keep it looking its best. If you are looking for roses
that don’t require puppy maintenance try rugosas or
one of the modern shrubs. These offer increased hardiness
and disease resistance in a variety of forms and colors. Truly
there is a rose for any garden and with just a little thought
you can find the right rose for yours.
Angel Face
Nature Hills Nursery, Inc.
The Angel Face rose has a beautiful and well balanced Old Rose scent, the
quintessential rose fragra...
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Blaze
Nature Hills Nursery, Inc.
The Blaze rose is a low maintenance rose that has pure red flowers. Blaze
roses provide continuous b...
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Bonica
Nature Hills Nursery, Inc.
The Bonica rose was voted the World's Favorite Rose in 1997 by the World Federation of Rose Societie...
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Carefee Delight
Nature Hills Nursery, Inc.
The Carefree Delight rose is a delightful
shrub rose that is very free flowering with vivid pink blooms...
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Carefree Beauty
Nature Hills Nursery, Inc.
The Carefree Beauty rose has an open bloom and is light Rose Bengal
color which ages lighter.
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Knock Out
Nature Hills Nursery, Inc.
The Knock Out rose is a glowing example of disease resistance at its best. The cycle of bloom and gr...
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