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Roses

Bareroot Roses

Bush Roses

Rose Compatibles

Flower Carpet Roses

Mini Roses

Rose Pruning

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Main Care Sheets Page

Bush Roses

EXPOSURE:
Roses grow best in full sun.

Inland: Plant in an area that receives at least 5 hours of sun.
Coastal: At least 6 hours. Provide good air circulation by planting bush roses 3¹/₂ to 4 ft. apart. (Hedge and ground cover roses can be planted closer together.)

SOIL:
For ideal growth conditions, plant in loose, fast-draining soil where roots can grow deep. Heavy clay soils hold too much water. Roots suffocate and struggle for adequate growth space.

Amend All Existing Soil Conditions:

Dig a hole 18" wide and 18" deep (Figure 1).
Mix ¹/₂ existing soil with ¹/₂ Roger's Planting Mix and ¹/₄ cup Roger's Soil Activator (Figure 1).

WATERING:
AVOID high sprinkler spray and overhead watering. Under each bush, create a basin-like well with soil to hold water during irrigation (Figure 2). A SLOW, DEEP soaking is the best method for watering roses. Use low pressure, allowing only a very slow stream of water to thoroughly soak the root ball (10 to 15 min., depending on soil type). Or place individual "bubbler" type sprinkler heads next to each bush.

Inland: Once a week during cool months. Twice a week during warm to hot months.
Coastal: Once a week during cool months. Twice a week during hottest weather or dry Santa Ana winds.

(Figure 2)

(Figure 3)

Bud eye where leaf attaches
(Figure 4)

FERTILIZING:
Begin your feeding program when your winter pruned, or newly bought, plant shows a lot of foliage. Feed with Roger's Flower Food every 3 weeks (last feeding of the year around Halloween).

GROOMING:
It is VERY IMPORTANT to keep dead leaves, petals and other debris cleaned up off the ground under and around your bushes. This is an ideal location for disease to start. Take off old, damaged or yellowing leaves by gently pulling down on them.

Deadheading: This is the practice of cutting off faded flowers BEFORE petals begin to fall off. Make the cut just above an outward facing leaf with 5 leaflets (Figure 3). Cutting at this point allows growth to resume at the bud eye inside the leaf axil and produces the best flowers (Figure 4). Deadheading hastens new flower formation.
Cutting Flowers for Bouquets: Follow the same method as when deadheading, carefully choosing an ideal location to make the cut. (ALWAYS place the importance of the plant above that of cut flowers.)

DISEASES:
Common diseases are powdery mildew, rust and black spot, which are fungi that may appear on the foliage. Treat all three with Green Light Rose Defense or Ortho Funginex, following product directions for mixing. Spray THREE TIMES with seven day intervals between each spraying. (NEVER spray just once!)

Be alert. Check the foliage on your bushes often. When caught early, diseases can be stopped quickly. However, we highly recommend the following preventative measures:

Choose disease resistant varieties.
Avoid planting in locations that get too little sun.
Allow plenty of growth space around the plant.
Keep soil area clear of debris.

INSECTS:
A new, nontoxic biological insecticide called Rose Defense safely gets rid of aphids, caterpillars, rose slugs (look like a flat, green worm) and thrips but does NOT harm beneficial insects such as Ladybugs. Follow product directions for mixing and spray THREE TIMES with seven day intervals between sprays. herbs.)

WINTER PRUNING AND TRANSPLANTING:
For Southern California, January is the best time to do your winter rose pruning and then, if desired, transplanting. Yearly pruning thoroughly rejuvenates your plant by eliminating older, unproductive canes while sending out strong, new,highly productive canes, so KEEP YOUR PLANTS YOUNG! Ask for a free Roger's Gardens Pruning instruction sheet for step by step professional rose pruning.

PLANTING PULP POT ROSES:
(available March through June)

Thoroughly soak your plant as soon as you bring it home. Apply a SLOW stream of water for ten minutes so the root ball gets completely saturated.
Amend soil according to instructions listed under "SOIL".
With a sharp knife, cut the rim of the pulp pot down to soil level. Carefully cut the bottom of the pulp pot off. (Figure 5)
Fill planting hole halfway with soil mixture and set pulp pot rose inside. Make sure the "bud union" (point of graft) is at least 3" above soil level. Fill in the sides with more soil mixture. (Figures 6 and 7)
Water SLOWLY and DEEPLY (Figure 7).

(Figure 5)

(Figure 6)

(Figure 7)

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