A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Tips on Growing Roses

by Carlos Torres

Tips on Growing Roses

Grow

In this guide, you will not only have all of the right skills at your fingertips, but you will get tips that you can use to grow your very own bed of roses. Check with your local gardening center or florist for the best type of roses to grow in you climate.

The following suggestions will help insure that your roses grow into healthy bushes, trees, etc.

1.Your new roses have probably dried out during shipping or storage, therefore before planting, either bury the roots in wet saw dust or peat moss for several days or soak them overnight in water. Keep the roots wet when planting, do not let them dry out.

2.Prune damaged and broken roots.

3.Prune main roots just enough to reveal white healthy tissue. This will help more roots grow.

4.Prune the plant back to three or four healthy canes. Try to keep the center of the plant empty. Prune the healthy canes back to about six (6) inches using sharp pruning shears. Keep the cutting blade on the lower side. Cut at a 45 to 60 degree angle. Cut about one fourth inch above an outside bud union.

5.In order to prevent infection, treat the cuts with some type of sealant or sealing paint.

6.Make sure that you have removed any suckers that may have started growing during shipping or storage.

If you are new to rose gardening, then it is wise to choose varieties of easy to grow roses to begin your rose garden. Easy to grow roses need some care as well.

Long stem roses tend to flower continuously and can grow 2-6 feet tall. Climbing roses are different from the regular roses that are planted as they are trained to grow upward like vines.

Water

If you start to water in hot weather, you must keep it up, soaking the roots thoroughly about once a week. Drops of water on the leaves can cause burning, and lead to black spot disease so always water from underneath, soaking the earth until it is damp but not soggy. I have used empty plastic milk containers for watering the roots of my roses. Wash the container well. Cut several small holes near the bottom of the container. Bury the container ear the base of the rose plant with the top just above the ground. Fill the container with water and put the cap on the container. The water will slowly seep out, watering the rose plants at the roots.

Soil

Fill the container with garden soil that contains some compost or organic fertilizer. Carpeted with a thick layer of soil preserving and plant protecting mulch. Prepare the soil in the rose beds well before in order to allow for settling of the soil. For mulch, I have used old newspapers. They will keep the weeds from growing all season, keep water in the soil, and will slowly decay, putting nutrients back into the soil. I cover the newspapers with leaves or other mulch.
If you are replacing an old rose bush, approximately 1 1/2 cubic feet of old soil should be removed, and fresh soil added to replace it. Then the plant should be placed in the hole carefully and the hole refilled with soil, covering the roots properly. The soil type, sun exposure, and nutrients it needs all depend on the variety.

Remember to take into consideration the type of soil you will use, the surrounding area where you will plant the rose, the amount of sun it will receive, and the temperatures it can tolerate.

Understand the soil type and provide good drainage.

Pruning

Rose pruning isn't as complicated as some people make it out to be. Here is a list of the proper techniques to guide through the pruning process. Using pruning shears or flower-cutting shears cut the stem at a 45-degree angle, no shorter than just above the first five-leaflet leaf below the flower.

Prune the healthy canes back to about six (6) inches using sharp pruning shears. Do hard pruning in the late winter or early spring just as new growth begins. Follow these tips and make rose pruning an easy gardening job.

There is no hard and fast rule regarding the time of pruning roses. With the help of pruning, disease is removed, thus helping the plant grow in a healthy environment.

Having a rose garden is one of the most rewarding gardens for the outdoor gardener. You don't need to have a large space to enjoy growing roses. There are so many varieties, you can have a rose garden in your yard or apartment.

About the Author
Carlos has a M.S. degree. He has been retired for almost a year and has been doing exceptionally well in MLM and online marketing. He has owned and operated business in the U.S. and abroad. http://snipurl.com/ziqq http://www.thepathtochoose.com