How to Care for Roses

Roses have an unwarranted reputation as being picky flowers. Some gardeners who have always admired roses have avoided planting them because they hear that roses are too hard to grow. The truth is roses can be just as easy as any other flower as long as you know how to care for them. Check out the information below to get one step closer to having the rose garden of your dreams.

Start with the Basics

The first step of any successful garden is knowing what will grow in your area. Before you start picking out flowers to plant, you should check your check your hardiness zone. Once you know what your zone is, you can look for roses that can handle those conditions. Ask employees at local nurseries for advice. Nursery employees should be able to tell you about which shrubs do best in your area and what problems you should look out for.

Rose Standards

Rose standards, or tree roses, are true trees, but they add a special touch to gardens. Roses are grafted onto thick stems to create the appearance of a tree. Most roses can be used to make tree roses, but you want to choose a rose that will continue to bloom.

Rose standards require the same care as any other roses, but they do need special attention when it comes to pruning. Here are some tips for pruning your tree roses:

• Prune heavily when your roses are dormant.
• Remove dead or damaged canes and any canes with less than a ⅜ inch diameter.
• Remove suckers to prevent precious energy from being wasted on unnecessary growth.
• Get rid of broken, diseased or damaged stems.
• Always use clean and disinfected shears for pruning. Keeping your tools in good shape makes it easier to care for your plants.

Rose Bushes

Rose shrubs or bushes are a little easier to care for than tree roses since they’re not put at risk by grafting. Experienced gardeners usually opt for bare-root roses to avoid transplant shock. Taking care of your plants should be easy once you get through the first steps:

• Soak the roots of your plant while you prepare the hole you’re going to place it in. The hole for your rose should be about two feet deep, and no matter what kind of rose you’re planting, you’ll need to make sure it gets plenty of sunlight.
• Get rid of any damaged pieces before planting.
• Once your rose bush is growing, it might want as much as an inch of water a week to keep it healthy and happy. However, even roses that are disease resistant can get sick from having soggy foliage. You want to make sure you give your roses enough water to be satiated, but not too much that the soil and foliage stays soaked.
• You may need to spray with insecticidal soap or a black spot preventative spray if your rose bush is susceptible to diseases.

Roses aren’t any more difficult to grow than the average shrub, but their reputation scares off a lot of would be rosarians. With the knowledge of how to care for roses, though, you can have the garden you’ve always wanted — and minimize your stress while getting there.

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