Planting Roses

Roses in the garden beautify your lawn and home and their fragrant smells fill the air. They are easily the most common and desired flowering plant in this area. The vibrant colors of a rose bush can brighten up even the cloudiest of days.

Planting roses can be divided into three phases: (1) selecting the variety and color of the rose that you’ll plant, (2) rose bush site selection and preparation, and (3) planting the rose bush itself.

The first step is to decide what variety and color you want to plant. Look for a variety that will be suitable to your climate in order to get the most out of the bush. Rose bushes can come in hundreds of varieties with lots of colors to choose from. It may be best to take a picture of your house and compare it with pictures of the different varieties, so that you’ll find if they complement each other. Choosing a few different colors can make a beautiful, eye-catching, display.

Rose bushes need sun, roughly six hours of direct sunlight a day. This will need to be taken into consideration when you’re looking for your rose zone. An east facing plot allowing for some shade in the afternoon is the ideal site to plant rose bushes. Proper water drainage is also necessary. In order to test if the water drainage is adequate, dig a hole about 18 inches deep and fill it with water. If the water doesn’t drain in 4 hours, then the drainage isn’t sufficient. Another testing method is to observe the surface of the soil after a downpour; if the water sinks in instead of pooling, then you’ve found a site with good drainage. Eliminate weeds and other vegetation around your chosen planting site so that
your roses won’t have to compete with them for nutrients.

Finally it is time to plant your rose bush. Make sure you wear gloves to protect yourself from thorns! If you’ve purchased bare-root roses, soak them in water overnight before you plant. Rose bush roots should be examined before planting and dead and broken roots should be removed. Dig a hole that is wide and deep enough to accommodate the growth of the roots of your roses. The crown should be level, or about an inch below the soil (2 to 4 inches below in colder climates). Begin filling the hole back in with soil; when it is about 3 quarters full fill the area with water then tamp this soil to prevent formation of air pockets. If you are planting multiple bushes, be sure to plant them 3 to 4 feet apart from each other.

Done! You can now enjoy your beautiful rose bushes! Proper care and maintenance will ensure that your roses blossom and thrive for many years to come.