By Cauleen Viscoff, Master Gardener

EASIEST ROSES:

• The new Landscape roses: “Drift”, “OSOEasy” etc.
• Disease resistant, hardy and ever-blooming.
• However, there are others just as lovely that require a bit more care.
• Do your research: know your space and sunlight.

ROSES NEED 6 – 8 hours each day … otherwise they’ll struggle for nutrients and have weaker blooms and roots.

ZONE: Push your zone with roses and they don’t do their best.
READ THE TAGS: Printed in US? Our zone 6 is their zone 5.

ROSES COME:
Bare Root (own root or grafted) – no leaves, no soil
Bagged: bare root in sawdust
Potted: blooming in pot

PLANTING:

• Soak each rose for an hour or two before planting.
• Dig hole deeper and wider than needed.
• Don’t amend the soil – (recent construction?  remove stones, etc; add compost to existing soil otherwise roots will stay encircled in the composted hole without spreading out.)
• Fill hole with water; let drain away.

POTTED:  Tangled, encircling roots? Slash down each side, teasing roots out. If rose comes out of pot easily, shake off the soil, and rinse well to rid of nursery chemical fertilizer.

GRAFTED: plant bud union 4 inches below surface – protects against frost and the (graft point) should form its own roots over time.

BARE ROOT: mound soil; place roots over mound. Fill in and tamp down gently.

PRUNE and GROOM:

When Forsythia blooms in Spring — 4D’s: dead, diseased, dying, design.
Groom all summer: deadhead; broken canes or out of shape.
Never prune climber to ground or else it has to start all over. Prune side branches horizontally for blooms.

BOTTOM LINE: Know your space, light and rose.
Then, buy the one you love.