It’s easy to grow roses! Here are 10 tips to get started . . .
Today’s roses are easier to grow than ever. Hybridizers are producing roses that are fragrant & gorgeous, along with added disease resistance. Here are 10 easy tips to grow healthy, beautiful roses!
- You can plant during most of the year. Roses are sold in pots or as bare-root plants. You can plant potted roses almost year-round in much of the country with Spring & Fall being the best. Bare-root roses should be planted as soon as you get them, in early Spring.
- Location, location, location. Pick a spot that will give your roses full sun for up to 4-8 hours per day. In hot climates, roses like some afternoon shade. Keep the soil moist, but good drainage is a must.
- Garden for the Zen, grow for the zone. New eye-popping roses arrive every year, so there are always lots of choices. Notes to help guide you:
- Roses developed for your area will perform best in your garden. Visit www.Rose.org/zone to find your zone.
- Visit your local Nursery to consider your options or shop online; visit www.Rose.org/nursery for a list of rose nurseries that do mail orders and have websites.
- Curious how a particular rose might do in your garden? Ask a local rosarian – it’s free! www.Rose.org/rosarian.
- Learn about your favorite roses at www.HelpMeFind.com – an online resource & community.
- Plant – an noun and a verb. Do the right basics to plant your roses and they will be productive performers in your garden for years – even decades. Dig a hole that is wide enough and deep enough for root growth and encrih the soil with organic materials such as garden compost or well-aged manure to get your roses off to a good start.
- Water: key to life. The best way to establish hearty, vigorous roses is to water deeply so roots grow deep. Soggy soil roots roots and light watering keeps roots too close to the surface.
- A little love goes a long way. Once your roses are established, a little care several times a year is all they need. Prune in early Spring to bring on new growth. Also, mulch adds nutrients to keep soil productive and moist. Fertilizing isn’t required, but can provide a boost.
- Stop & smell the roses! You will enjoy seeing blooms in your first year. Cutting roses and deadheading encourages even more blooms, so enjoy your success. Take time to enjoy your roses, smell them, cut and arrange them, share them – and photograph them!
- Uh Oh! Don’t let the occasional garden pest or rose disease worry you. Expert advice is available at the click of a mouse from the ARS Consulting Rosarians at www.Rose.org/rosarian.
- Rose friends are everywhere! There are nearly 300 local rose societies round the country; to find one near you, visit www.Rose.org/societies.
- Learn more! Now that you have mastered the basics of growing, consider joining the thousands of rose lovers at the Americn Rose Society. Learn more ways to enjoy roses and take your gardening to the next level. What are you waiting for? A trial membership is only $10 for 4 months. Sign up today at www.Rose.org!
