How To Grow Roses
Featuring: Gary Mueller - Rose Expert
At Wilson Bros, we know quite a bit ourselves about growing roses, but we're more than happy however, to acknowledge the high level of expertise that someone such as Gary Mueller has achieved in growing absolutely flawless, florist quality hybrid tea roses. And if you can grow hyrbrid tea roses, you can grow any rose!
Those of you who frequently visit Wilson Bros Nursery may have seen Gary's perfect award-winning roses on display at the front counter. We asked Gary if he'd be willing to give us his secrets and he gladly obliged.
Ask Gary Your Rose Gardening Question Here
Growing Roses the Mueller Way
By: Gary Mueller
Getting Started:
Getting started right is very important. Choosing and preparing a good site is necessary for growing good roses. First, I pick a location that will recieve plenty of morning sun. Roses like the sun, and the morning sun will help dry the dew off of the leaves. Roses like at least 6 hours of sun a day, however, can tolerate all day sun. Always make sure to space your roses properly for good air circulation which helps to prevent fungal problems later in the season. I grow hybrid tea and floribunda roses and plant them about 4’-5' apart, or more.
Testing your soil for pH is also important. Ideally roses like the pH to be 6.0 to 6.5. In this slightly acid range, most of the nutrients that roses need are readily available. You can raise your pH by broadcasting lime and working into the soil. If your soil is too alkaline, you can lower the pH by broadcasting agricultural sulfur and working into the soil.
There are two types of roses available: container grown, and bare-root roses. Your local nursery may offer both container-grown roses and bare root. If not, bare-root roses are available for purchase by mail order catalogs or various sites on the internet. There are different ways to plants these two types of roses.
Planting Container Grown Roses In The Garden
Many nursery and garden centers offer roses that have been grown in a container - often 2 or 3 gallon in size. Container grown roses are simply bare root roses that have been planted in a container (typically 3 gallon in size) by a growing operation or your local nursery. Once a rose has rooted into the soil within a container it can be offered at nursery and garden centers throughout the season. Bare root roses, on the other hand, are only available for a short period of time during late winter and early spring.
- To plant a container grown rose, dig a hole at least 24" deep, and 12" wider than the container the rose is in. This will give the roots plenty of room to start growing through ammended soil.
- After you dig your hole fill it half way with water and let the water soak in. The water should empty the hole within an hour, and if not, dig the hole a few inches deeper. Roses do not like wet feet, and if their roots stand in water for long periods of time root rot will occur.
- I have a soil mixture recipe for planting roses. After digging the hole for my rose, I mix in:
- a shovel full of peat moss
- a shovel of dried cow manure
- a shovel of compost such as Mushroom Compost
- 1 cup of cottonseed meal
- 1 cup of bone meal
- 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts
Mix these ingredients together with the native soil dug from the hole.
- Before placing the rose in the hole, backfill hole with soil mixture to a level where the top of the rootball of the rose will be slightly above the ground level. Place the rootball in hole making sure that the top edge is even with the ground level. While holding the rose steady to keep it straight, backfill with the soil mixture to a level 3/4 of the way to the top of the hole tamping lightly as you go. Add water to settle and remove any air pockets. I then add some fish emulsion for an extra boost. Follow instructions on the product label. Finish backfilling making sure not to put any mix on top of the rootball.
- (Optional) Build a 2" high catch basin to help retain water during the first season by mounding a ring of soil in a circle around the perimeter of the hole.
Planting Bare Root Roses In The Garden
The term "bare root" refers to plants that are removed from soil growing beds to be sold and/or shipped in packages with no soil around the roots. These are usually available during the late dormant season and early spring through mail-order companies or at local nursery and hgarden centers.
- After recieving your roses make sure to soak the roots for 6 to 24 hours in water to restore the moisture lost during transport.
- Dig the hole for your bare root rose 18" to 24" across, and deep.
- Fill hole with water and make sure it soaks in within an hour. If the hole does not drain properly dig a few inches deeper. The hole should be wider than the diameter of the root system when spread out.
- Use the same recipe for your soil mix as with container grown roses.
- Next, shape a mound of soil mixture in the bottom of the hole, high enough so that the bud union or crown will be at ground level when planting. Mix a 1 gallon solution of root stimulator and water, following instructions on the product label for mixing. Place the rose in the hole and pour the root stimulator solution over the roots. While holding on to the rose to keep it straight, and at a level where the bud union is slightly above ground level, backfill hole with soil mixture to a level 3/4 of the ways to the top of the hole, lightly tamping as you go. Add water to settle in and remove any air pockets. Continue backfilling making sure the bud union is slightly above ground level.
- (Optional) Build a 2" high catch basin to help retain water during the first season by mounding a ring of soil in a circle around the perimeter of the hole.
Rose Care Tips
Watering
Roses planted in well-drained soil as described above appreciate frequent watering during dry spells. If you follow the planting instructions as described above poor drainage will not be a problem. Under normal conditions during the active growth season, and when blooming heavy, roses need 1" of water per week from rainfall or other sources. Many roses will tell you when they need watering. Drooping new growth is an indicator.
I have a drip system running through out my rose garden and use it to water my roses with about 2 gallons of water every other day - but, depending on the time of year and the weather, you may not need to water roses this much. Attaching a water meter to your spicket helps to measure the amount of water despensed. You can also use a rain gauge to measure rainfall. Do not water during the hottest parts of the day. Instead, water early in the morning or late in the afternoon. If you hand water your roses make sure to avoid splashing water on the foliage as this may promote black spot on the foliage.
Fertilizing Roses
I fertilize my roses when they begin to show new growth in the early spring. I use a rose fertilizer that also contains a systemic insecticide. Broadcast around the root sytem and gently work in, making sure not to go to deep as the roots could be damaged. I fertilize every 6 weeks. In addidtion, every two weeks I water around the base of each of my roses with a solution of 1 tablespoon Miracle Gro for Roses fertilizer in 1 gallon of water. I use old milk jugs to make it easier to measure and distribute.
Disease Prevention & Control
I always keep a chart of when I spray my hybrid tea roses with fungicides. (Knock Out Roses, and other caref free shrub roses, do not require regular applications of fungicide because they are exceptionally disease resistant.) You should spray your hybrid tea roses with a fungicide on a schedule of every 10 to 14 days. This is easy to do if you keep a sprayer on hand specifically for spraying fungicides.
I alternate fungicides every other week to make it less likely that my roses will become tolerant to one fungicide.
If any leaves on your roses develop black spot, or start to turn yellow from a disease, pull them off and discard. Any diseased leaves that have fallen to the ground should also be removed and discarded.
The onset of black spot is usually caused by too much water on the leaves, or during extended overcast periods when the dew is not dried off by the sun. I use Manzate to kill black spot spores. If black spot spores are present, you must first eliminate them by picking diseased leaves off.
Good air circulation helps to prevent mildew and other diseases by keeping the plant dry and not allowing disease spores to take hold. Aside from manzate, the other fungicides I use are Compass and Banner-maxx. These are quite expensive chemicals, however the bottle goes a long way because of the small amount needed to mix solutions.
Most nursery and garden centers sell cheaper broad spectrum fungicides that work well. Products containing Neem oil are great for treating powdery mildew and other diseases as well as insects and mites. Neem oil is a natural substance that is safe for the environment.
Insect Control On Roses
I only use pesticides when there are insects present. (Always follow direction on the product label before mixing or applying insecticides). Most insects can be controlled with pesticides, however, certain insects such as spider mites will require a miticide.
If you have identified spider mites they will need to be sprayed in stages. The first treatment will kill the adults, and the second kills the hatchlings. For a general insecticide I use Orthene but for spider mites I use Avid along with a modifying biochemical (sex attractant pheromone), called Stirrup-M. I also add a product called Indicate to my water to create the optimal pH 6.0 - 6.5 in your water along with a sticker to help it adhere to the leaves better.
Malathion, Liquid Sevin (Carbyrl) and Neem oil are cheaper alternatives that when used properly are quite effective for insect control. Neem oil not only controls many insects and mites but fungus as well. I use Merit for Japanese beetles; it is one of the best. Liquid Sevin also works well for Japanese Beetles. For best results in controlling these pesty beetles you must coat the top and bottom of the leaves.
Winterizing Roses
When winter has arrived, and after we have had a few hard freezes (28 degrees or so), cut back long canes that extend beyond the rest of the bush to make the plant even. Then tie twine around the remaining canes to hold the plant gently together. (Do not cut the bush back completely at this time.) Late February or early March is the best time to do the heavy pruning.
Clean the ground of all leaves and cover the bud union with compost or mulch, to help it through the winter.
When the plant goes dormant, usually around mid-December, spray your roses with a dormant rose spray. I spray with Volck Oil and Lime Sulfur dormant disease spray. It should be sprayed on the ground under and around the rose bush as well. A second spray of Volck Oil and Lime Sulfur in late January or early February can be of great benefit in controlling such insects as scale, and some of the fungi that plague certain types of roses, particularly hybrid teas.
Pruning Hybrid Tea Roses
Late WInter / Early Spring Pruning: Just prior to or when new growth begins to emerge it is time to hard prune your roses.
The first step in pruning any type of rose is to remove any dead, damaged, diseased, or weak and thin canes, cutting them off flush with the bud union. Remove any canes that are growing into the middle of the bush or are crossing one another. Always prune to an out-ward facing bud so that canes do not grow into the center of the plant. The ideal angle of a cut is 45-degrees, slanted parallel to the direction of the bud growth. (See diagram below)
Cut remaining canes back to about 18" above the ground.
Pruning During the Bloom Season: During the bloom season it is only necessary to prune away faded or finished blooms. Simply trace from the spent bloom down the stem until you come to the first five-leaf branch. Once you have located the first five leaf branch make your cut about a half inch or so above the bud that is nestled at the base of the five-leaf branch as shown in the diagram below. Do not cut too close to the bud or at too sharp of an angle.
Mulching Roses
Mulch is a layer of natural material that is placed atop the soil to blanket the root sytems from the cold temperatures during the winter months and or to help retain moisture during the hot season. It can be pine needles, wheat straw, or wood mulch. Applying mulch also helps to keep the ground moist and weeds to a minimum.
Mulch should be no more than 2" thick. Shredded wood mulches applied too thick can develop fungus and keep water from reaching the root systems of plants.
Below is a listing of roses. Click on any thumbnail image or link to see a Plant File that contains detailed description, usage tips and instructions for care.
(15) Plants Found. Showing 1 to 6 of 15.
(15) Plants Found. Showing 1 to 6 of 15.