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NURSERY |
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THE CRAFT OF GROWING ROSES
"Roses, like any shrubs, are easy to grow when correctly chosen, sited, watered and fed. They only seem difficult because of arcane techniques concerned with producing a single flower for exhibition, not for producing good garden shrubs."
Anonymous
SITING AND PLANTING
Roses require 6 to 8 hours of sun, deep watering from ground level and a good amount of
organic matter in the soil. Enrich the planting with compost or composted manure. Apply
additional winter mulch over the rose plantings to a depth of 3 to 6 inches. Don't worry about
burying the rose with this depth. Roses will tolerate the depth and the compost will, over time,
break down. Some roses tolerate light to dappled shade.
PLANTING DEPTH
A rose naturally runs several inches beneath the soil in search of richer ground. Thus, it is
not harmed being planted deeply; this includes grafted roses. The advantage to planting
with the union bud at 2 to 4 inches below the surface is that it protects the bud during
a hard freeze, creating a sturdier, healthier plant. The Rose Society and major
growers are now recommending deeper planting.
FERTILIZERS
Feed roses with a dry rose food according to the product's directions. Usually this is three
times a year: at bud break and mulching time (Feb); at flowering (May/June) and again in
late July so the rose is hardening off growth by autumn. Roses like sweet soils so using
composts containing lime is a good practice.
PRUNING
All roses grow well with just light pruning. Traditional hard pruning is not necessary.
The only reason to do so is to produce a few long stems with exhibition quality flowers.
Abundance of bloom, quicker re-bloom and better health is the result of lighter pruning,
proven by recent extensive trial in the U.S. and Europe. Except for rejuvination or
aesthetics, roses really only need to have dead, diseased or damaged branches removed.
DISEASE
Most diseases are controlled by cleaning old foliage in the fall (this includes foliage left on
the rose as well as foliage on the ground); feeding well with low strength fertilizers;
mulching annually with compost; using no overhead watering; creating good air circulation
and good sun exposure.
ROSE TERMINOLOGY
Hybrid Tea
Hybrid Teas are considered the "modern" rose. The Hybrid Tea has large flowers on
long stems and blooms throughout the season.
Grandiflora
Grandifloras are a large flowered Hybrid Tea with 2 or 3 large flowers on long stems.
At Wells Medina Nursery, Grandifloras are placed with Hybrid Teas.
Floribunda
Floribundas are a modern rose, usually 3-4 feet tall with clusters of flowers resembling
Hybrid Teas in shape and color.
English (Modern English)
English roses combine antique rose forms, fragrance and flower shape with the color and
ever blooming quality of a modern hybrid: also called Austin, Generosa and Renaissance.
The Renaissance series is ideal for Seattle being hardy, disease resistant and beautiful. Prune lightly.
Climber
Climbing roses start at 8-10 feet, but heights vary. Pillar roses are considered among the
shorter types while Ramblers have long flexible canes that can grow 20 to 30 feet.
Some can be kept as large shrubs by simple training. It often takes several years for a
climber to begin to reach its stated height.
Shrub
Shrub roses are a large catchall class of roses including Antiques, Groundcovers, Species
and Landscapes. These are generally pruned lightly like any shrub. Four groups of importance
among shrub roses are:
Alba
Alba roses are a hardy class of old shrub roses with good disease resistance and
does well on north walls and partial shade; once or repeat blooming.
Musk
Musk roses offer a very disease resistant, free blooming rose, most with lovely fragrance
and shade tolerant.
Rugosa
Rugosas are robust and tough roses. Cold hard and disease resistant, salt tolerant,
repeat blooming and most have a rich old-rose fragrance. Rugosa roses should never
be sprayed with anything. Yellowing of the leaves occurs with any spraying.
Groundcover
Groundcover roses are low, generally under 3 feet tall and wide (5 feet and more)
and include various Meidlands, Blanket and Carpet series.
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