| PREPARING THE BED Select an area where the rose bed will receive no less than 6 hours of sunshine each day. Roses will also do well in full sun. After selecting your area, enclose it with brick, landscape timbers, ect. Remove the grass, along with 1-1/2 inches of soil. You can put this valuable source of nutrients at the bottom of your rose bed. Check the consistency of the remaining soil to a depth of 18 inches. If the soil is soft and loamy, your bed is in food shape. If your soil has a heavy clay base, mix sand and gypsum with it to soften. Use one part sand to three parts soil and the amount of gypsum the manufacturer suggests. Your finished bed should be elevated about 8 inches above the ground. This aids in the drainage of your beds. Any available compost can be worked into the area as well. Do not put any commercial fertilizer into your new rose bed soil mixture. The bed needs to set a minimum of 2 weeks before any roses are planted. Each rose bed should be 3 feet wide and long enough to have 2-1/2 to 3 feet between rose bushes. Planting the Rose Bush Prepare your holes by digging an area 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide. Most standard roses should be 2-1/1 to 3 feet apart with 8 to 10 feet between climbers. Miniatures are planted 12 to 24 inches apart. Place a 2 to 4 inch layer of composted material in the bottom of the hole. If composted materials are not available, use peat moss mixed with soil (amount of peat moss depends upon type of soil). Soak your bare root roses for 24 hours. Prune away any damaged root parts. Canes need to be cut back to about 12 inches before planting. Pruning cuts should be made just above dormant outward facing eyes if possible. Form a cone shaped mound of soil in the hole. Spread the roots of the rose bush out over the top of the mound. The bud union is plated just below ground level. After the hole is filled with soil, top it around the plant. Water thoroughly, let drain, and then finish filling the hole with soil. When planting potted roses do not disturb the root system as they are placed in the planting hole. Packaged roses should be planted according to the manufacturer's directions. Be sure to water thoroughly when planting until the danger of freeze is over, mound dirt over the top of the canes. As the weather warms, the dirt can slowly be removed from the top of the bush. Miniatures should be planted as they come out of the pot, no deeper. They should not be planted until the weather is warmer, usually the first of May. Feeding the Rose Bushes A new rose bush should not be fed with a commercial fertilizer until after the first blooming. Older, established bushes should be given an initial feeding of a balanced fertilizer after pruning occurs in late March. At this time, in addition, 1/4 cup Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) can be applied to each bush. Roses should not be ground-fed during the hot months, but can be foliar fed during the cooler parts of the day. Do not feed your roses after the end of August. This allows the growing cycle begin to slow down, moving your roses into dormancy for the winter ahead. Mulching the Rose Beds Materials such as pine bark, cottonseed hulls, coffee bean hulls, pine straw, seasoned straw, or alfalfa hay can be used to mulch roses during those extra hot months. Each year, new material can be added to replace what has decomposed within the bed. Mulch helps retain moisture within the bed and protects those feeder roots near ground level. Water, Water, Water! Water is the gift of life, and since new roses dry out quickly, it is critical to keep the bushes adequately watered. Be sure to soak the rose bush when you plant it, and then keep it watered. Roses need at least 1 inch of water a week. Deep soakings encourage those roots to go further down, reaching more of the soil's nutrients. Always water bushes will before fertilizer to the root zone. Water well the day before you intend to spray to prevent spray from burning the foliage. Pruning the Roses Pruning old growth encourages new growth. Trim out dead wood and any canes overlapping each other. Trim old canes back to a new bud to encourage growth. This helps to shape the bush and keep it to a desirable size. Pruning older bushes should begin in the middle of March and completed by the first of April. Spraying the Roses A regular spray program is essential for beautiful roses. Spray in the cool of the morning to allow quick drying of the foliage and cut down on spray damage. Make sure the roses are well-hydrated and the foliage is dry before spraying. Determine the products you plan to use and prepare a timetable to follow. Several sprays provide effective control if insects. Bushes should be sprayed regularly (every 7 - 10 days) with a good fungicide to prevent blackspot and mildew. Bushes should be sprayed until they are dripping wet. Be sure to spray beneath the leaves too. If one or more rose diseases develop, stronger spray programs will need to be employed. Dry periods do not require as much control as humid, warm weather. A brown discoloration my indicate spider mites. A good water spray for three days is often effective eliminating spider mites. |
| Growing Roses by Oklahoma Rose Society |