Planting Tips
<<< Previous Tip - Back to Index - Next Tip >>>
Planting and Caring for Roses
Planting and Caring for Roses
1. Dig a hole as 6” deeper then container, and twice its diameter. 2. Mix 1⁄2 planting mix of peat, compost & perlite (we recommend using Frey’s Planting Mix) and 1⁄2 top soil
together. Fill extra depth of hole with mixture and tap firmly to avoid settling. 3. Gently remove plant from the container. If roots are growing in a circular pattern around the bottom,
slice through the roots on a couple sides of the root ball. Work outer roots with your hands. Place plant in hole. Make sure rose is planted at the same level as it was in the container. Do not plant deeper.
4. Fill in hole with above mixture and tap firmly. Make a basin around the edge of hole to retain water. 5. Fill basin with water 3 to 4 times, soaking plant thoroughly. A plant starter can be applied at this
time, we recommend Organica Plant Booster or PHC Tree Saver. 6. Mulch around plant about 2” thick.
Caring:
1. Once rose is established we recommend fertilizing regularly with any rose fertilizer. Be sure to stop fertilizing in late summer.
2. Watering of a new plant is necessary during dry periods. Be sure to check if soil is actually dry by moving the mulch away and dig a small area with trowel several inches deep or press finger into soil. If soil feels moist, do not water.
3. You may need to spray your rose for insect and diseases, depending on the variety. Hybrid Tea roses should be treated every 2 weeks. Shrub roses should be checked throughout the season and sprayed if problems are spotted. There are several choices when dealing with insects and diseases. Foliage sprays and granular or liquid drenches that are applied to the soil.
Winterizing of Hybrid Teas, Floribundas & Climbers: (Shrub roses generally need no extra care)
1. Stop deadheading/pruning your rose 3 to 5 weeks before the first frost. 2. In fall, take topsoil or mulch and make a mound around the base of the plant to a height of 10-12”. 3. Varieties that don’t winter well need to be given extra protection by creating a rose cone or protective
collar to surround the plant. The cone is then filled with leaves, straw or pine needles. Be sure to remove all this when the rose begins to show growth in the spring.
Pruning:
1. Pruning is normally done when the plant is dormant or semi-dormant, in early spring. It is best not to prune in very cold weather.
2. Using a sharp shears remove all dead, diseased or damaged wood. Cut back until you hit healthy stems.
3. Next, remove any crossing shoots and weak or spindly growth. Make a clean cut just above a healthy bud.
4. When pruning hybrid teas, grandifloras, and floribundas, prune back to 18”-24”. Choose 4 or 5 strong, healthy canes to keep. Make sure they are away from the center of the rose and away from each other, making for maximum air and sun. Prune all other canes and side branches as far back as possible.
5. Shrub roses don’t need a lot of pruning and can be done at anytime. Pruning can be done to shape plant or it can be allowed to grow freely. If let go, a hard pruning every few years will help to rejuvenated plant.
6. Climbing roses should be pruned lightly for the first 4 years. Just cut out dead wood and do a little thinning so branches don’t crown and cover one another. The fifth year prune hard. Remove the oldest looking main stems and do a lot of thinning.