Planting Roses

Site Selection

If you are considering a new garden location and want to grow good roses it would be prudent to research a gardens location and soil condition before taking the plunge. A lot of hard labour, blood sweat and tears could be saved in the process!

Look at the neighbouring gardens do they grow good roses?
Avoid trees that are too close, these may block daylight, and if very near by will compete for soil moisture and food, large trees usually win!

Study the soil type and structure and if possible have an analysis carried out, alternatively be prepared to import good top soil.

Assuming that you have a garden, new or old, then location of rose beds should still be properly considered:-
Locate away from trees for the reasons given above.
Roses need light, sunshine (when available!) for at least half the day length is required for roses to give their best, full sun all day however is not essential or preferred.

On sloping sites; if the site is heavy and wet then locate rose beds uphill from swampy ground; on very free draining sites the down hill end is preferred.

Plant roses away from masonry walls if possible, as these have a tendency to dry out the soil unless the masonry is sealed below ground level.

Modern Roses will grow well in any 'free draining-moisture retentive soil' that is slightly acidic (pH 5.5 - 6.8). Roses will tolerate a wider variation in 'pH' value than this but will not necessarily give their best. The soil pH can be tested with a DIY kit obtainable from your local garden centre or you can have your soil tested by a laboratory. If your soil is outside of the preferred pH range then steps can be taken to rectify this at the planting stage and with on going cultivation practices. To reduce the acidity of a garden soil use lime, or to make a soil more acid use flowers of sulphur, sulphur chips or peat. In the extremes of pH value the only way to correct the situation may be to replace the soil, for two spits depth, and replace with imported soil, or move house! Also see notes below on alkaline soils.

It is worth noting at this stage that many Old Garden Roses will tolerate an alkaline soil better than Modern Roses. So, if you are unlucky enough to be on chalk and find it impractical to replace the chalk or build up the above the chalk then try some Old Garden Roses as these may prove to be more at home in your garden.

A 'free draining-moisture retentive' soil is one that contains a mixture of large and small air spaces; Large pores to allow water to drain and the air to get to the roots; Small pores to retain moisture and nutrients that can be extracted by the plants roots. For all types of soil the incorporation of well rotted manure or compost during preparation of the rose beds will promote the correct soil condition. The on going cultivation of adding mulches as a top dressing to all soils will maintain or even improve the soils texture. On acid clays top dressing with lime will help break down the clay into a crumb structure, for neutral clays use gypsum instead. For all clays pea gravel can also be forked into the top 150mm (6") to help open up the soil.

Before a plot of ground is used for rose growing, the whole area should be cultivated, not just the actual beds. This discourages water from draining into the bed from heavy surrounding soil. It also encourages rose roots to spread under pathways.

The best method of cultivation is bastard trenching. Mark out the whole area of land in strips 46cm (18in) wide, running across the plot. Dig out the first strip to a depth of 23cm (9in), then use a wheelbarrow to move the soil away and tip it at the opposite end of the plot.

Next, the soil at the base of the first trench should be dug over and broken up. If the soil is a heavy clay, add some gypsum (calcium sulphate) at the rate of 0.8 - 1.0kg per metre (l.5 - 2lb per yd) of trench. This produces larger soil crumbs, which aids drainage and allows better aeration.

Add well-rotted farmyard manure, garden compost, or rotted straw, at the rate of a large barrow-load per 1.8m (2yd) of
trench. Other nourishment such as steamed bonemeal, fishmeal, powdered seaweed and a proprietary rose fertiliser (preferably slow-release) should be added at a rate of 63-94g per metre (2-3oz per yd) of trench. Mix all additives well into the soil using a spade or fork.

Dig out the top spit of soil from the second strip and turn it onto the top of the first trench. Add peat to this at the rate of one 10 litre bucket per metre (one 2gal bucket per yd) and further quantities of steamed bonemeal, fishmeal and powdered seaweed at the same rate as before. This method cultivates the soil to a depth of 46cm (18in) with the most fertile soil remaining on top and the best possible base preparation underneath.

If your soil is predominantly sand or gravel, it is advisable to add extra humus forming material and, if possible, to line the bottom of the trenches with old grass turves, turned upside-down. If your soil is shallow, above a limestone subsoil, the only practicable way to grow roses is to build up the soil above ground level with abundant quantities of peat and farmyard manure. This prevents constant contact between the high pH soil and the rose roots.

Planting Bare Root Roses

Plant during October or November while the soil is still friable and retains some warmth (though it is possible to plant up to early April).

When the bushes arrive, they are usually packaged in strong brown-paper sacks, which are waxed inside to retain moisture.
Unpack the bushes, leave them tied in bundles and immerse the roots in water for twenty-four hours to give them a good drink.

If the bushes are almost completely dehydrated, with wrinkled roots and stems, dig a deep hole in the garden and bury the bushes completely. Soak the soil and leave the bushes for ten days. When the bushes are lifted the roots and stems should have returned to their original healthy state and they can be planted.

Before planting, examine the bushes for broken stems and roots, which should be cut back cleanly. If any strong thong roots are longer than 30cm (12in), shorten them, and remove any leaves. When planting bushes, keep types and varieties together to simplify cultivation. Dig the holes to suit the root systems of each individual bush, as they all differ in shape.

Line each hole with 2-3 handfuls of a planting mixture, made from 9 litres (2gal bucket) of damp peat mixed with a large handful each of bonemeal and seaweed powder. Hold the bush in the hole so that the budding union (where the stems of the cultivated variety emerge from the wild rose rootstock) is at soil level or not more than 2.5cm (1in) below. Fill in the hole with soil, adding several handfuls of the planting mixture.

Firm the soil around each bush, using the ball of the foot and working from the outside up to the stem. The surface of the bed
should be level when you have finished the planting operation.

Planting Potted Roses into Beds

Potted roses are available all year round and may also be planted all year round, but like bare root roses potted roses are best planted prior to the commencement of the growing season, the earlier the better.

When bushes are bought make sure that they are well watered, and healthy. Clean off any weed growth from the pots, prune the stems as necessary, and spray the plants if any insects are present. Leave the potted roses for as long as it takes for the pot to dry to a moist but not wet state before planting.

Planting potted roses out into beds should follow the advice given above for bare root roses except in this instance the soil around the roots of the potted rose should be left intact with as little disturbance as possible.

Spacing of Roses

With a bed width of 1.4m (4ft 6in), grow the roses in three rows 46cm (18in) apart, with 23cm (9in) gaps between the outside rows and the edges of the bed. The distance between each bush should be 46cm (18in) for Large Flowered roses and 61cm (24in) for Cluster Flowered and Polyantha roses. Plant Miniature roses 30cm (12in) apart with 30cm (12in) between rows, or grow them in 15-18cm (6-7in) pots, plant tubs or troughs.

Before planting Shrub roses and Climbers or the like, consult a specialist book to find out the height and vigour of your chosen variety. Then devise your bed layout according to the space needed by each plant.

Miscellaneous Tips and Thoughts

New roses planted in very old rose beds do not usually thrive unless the soil has been completely replaced, or the bed has been sterilized and left fallow for a few years.

Many a failure of new roses is due to under watering, surface run-off of water can prevent water penetrating deeply enough to get to the roots. Ensure when watering that you wet the soil to a good depth, check how deep the soil has been wetted if your uncertain.

A good tip for getting new climbers established, especially near walls, is to sink a small flower pot in the soil, up to its rim, adjacent to the root run of the rose. Water into this pot at least daily during the growing season include a liquid feed as appropriate. Each watering should continue until the pot when filled takes a minute or more to drain.

When planting roses near masonry walls isolate the wall from the rose bed as far as possible to prevent the wall from extracting moisture from the soil. Paint the under ground wall with a water proofing and/or place a polythene sheet between the wall and soil. Always plant roots facing away from the wall and into the heart of the rose beds.

Never make rose beds too wide, restrict their width so that they can be worked on, for their full width with ease, when the plants are in full growth. Also never plant bushes too close together or to close to edges of beds. Always consider access along paths and access for pruning and hoeing when bushes are in full growth.

Some rose growers especially exhibitors like to grow their roses closer together than is recommended above, simply to get more varieties into their garden, so a few thoughts on this:-

Commercial greenhouse growers have shown that roses planted (in double rows) at 25 - 30cm (10" - 12") apart give the best return in terms of cost/quantity. With spacing above 30cm (12") up to 38cm (15") crop quality improves with only a small lose in total yield.

Some more upright growing varieties (Big Chief, Grandpa Dickson) can be planted more closely than others, so it pays to study the growth habits of rose varieties before deciding on the optimum spacing.

Just to show that there are always exceptions to the rule:- I used to grow a group of 10 Big Chief at 12" spacing under a weeping cherry tree. These bushes produced at least 6 best in show blooms in as many years and 3 of these were at national level. The soil was well fed, and watered constantly, to compensate for the tree. Big Chief is a variety that does not like full sun (the foliage and petals scorch very easily) so I guess the dappled shade must have been the secret, or was it the constant honeydew foliar feed!?