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Planting A Rose Garden
Planting Rose BushesPlanting a rose garden is great garden project and should be a lot of fun. Just keep in mind that a well-planted rose becomes a beautiful rose. A good start makes all the difference in how the plant will flower and perform over the years. I would say, it's the difference between success and failure, so it makes sense to do it right.
Picture of the rose 'Confetti'
Site Choice, Where To Plant RosesThe ideal location for planting a rose garden is a spot that has the following requirements. At least six hours of direct sunlight, starting with morning sun. Morning sun is important, as it allows the sun to dry off the dew on the foilage, thereby preventing fungus diseases. It is extremely important that the soil have good drainage. Roses hate 'wet feet', and will actually die if allowed to sit in standing water or in soil with poor drainage. If your soil doesn't drain well, you are better off building a raised bed about 18-24 inches high, otherwise your roses will suffer and wilt.
The 'Yellow Rose Of Texas'
Soil PreparationIf you are going to be planting a rose garden, a group of roses in a large bed, be sure to prepare the soil several days ahead of planting. The goal is to have loose soil, so the feeder roots can grow quickly. The sooner the feeder roots grow out below the ground, the sooner you rose will grow above ground, and the sooner the rose bush will flower. Rotatill the soil to about a foot deep and add plenty of composted manure and other organic matter. Water deeply to settle the soil, then wait a couple of days before planting your roses.
Digging a proper hole is very important. Dig a hole at least 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide. Put the backfill in a wheelbarrow, this will make it easier to mix in fertilizers and other amendments. This is also the best time to adjust soil pH or add nutrients that are in short supply. Soil pH is a measurement of the soil's acidity or alkalinity, measured in a range from 1 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. Soils with pH below 7 are acidic, and become more acidic the lower the number goes. Soils with a pH value above 7 are alkaline, and become more alkaline as the number goes up.
This step is important when planting a rose garden, and should not be skipped.
You can adjust acidic soil by adding dolomitic limestone. Correct alkaline soils by adding soil sulfur. Again a local professional is the best source of how much and what to add.
Dig the hole according to 'digging a proper hole above' and add soil amendments to the backfill, such as composted manure, blood meal and bone meal, and other amendments needed to adjust your soils pH value. Place your new rose in the hole, pot and all, so you can see the proper planting depth. The bud union should be at, or slighly above, the soil surface in mild-winter areas, or up to several inches below the soil in cold-winter areas. Remove the container from the hole and remove the rootball from the pot. If the roots form a solid, circling mass, gently loosen or cut them. If you don't, the rose will be slow to adapt to the new hole and take a long time to grow. If the roots are really tight, make three or four vertical cuts along the sides of the rootball with a knife. Don't cut any deeper than an inch. The roots will eventially branch out into the surrounding soil. Add a couple of shovels of the amended backfill soil to the planting hole and set the rose in the hole, disturbing the roots as little as possible. After correcting the soil level and adding the rest of the amended backfill, water thoroughly. If you are planting in hot weather, don't let the new plant dry out. Until the roots grow out into the surrounding soil, you will have to treat it like it's still in the pot. That means you have to water every few days if not more. If you are planting in winter, mound soil over the canes, about 4-6 inches. Water all newly planted roses every three days- more often if the weather is hot.
More Planting Tips
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