Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Prepare for planting
• Method 2 of 4: Planting roses
• Method 3 of 4: Taking care of roses
• Method 4 of 4: Protect roses against diseases and the weather
• Tips

Would you like to become a rose grower? Roses are a symbol of love and beauty and have been growing for decades in countless gardens as well as in the wild. To grow beautiful roses, it is important to choose the right varieties and to take good care of the plants year after year. Read on to learn how best to grow this beautiful flower.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Prepare for planting

1. Choose the right rose variety. Did you know that there are 13,000 varieties of roses? Some roses grow better in one region than in another. If you are looking for a suitable rose variety for your garden, it is wise to first delve into the available rose varieties. Choose a color and a size that you like and then see which roses are eligible. Roses come in the following categories:
   • Hybrid tea or noble roses are beautifully shaped, colorful roses that regularly appear in flower shops as part of a bouquet.
   • Floribunda roses are the most colorful roses out there. They also have not one, but several blossoms per shrub.
   • Grandiflora roses are a cross between hybrid tea and Floribunda roses. They grow very tall and, like the Floribunda roses, have several blossoms per bush.
   • Climbing roses can climb up fences and walls.
   • Miniature roses are small and therefore ideal for planters.
   • Shrub roses and landscape roses are quite stubborn and resistant to all kinds of diseases and pesticides. They also come in countless colors, shapes and sizes.
   • Tree roses are roses with a long stem that makes them look like trees. They need a little more care than other roses.
2. Buy bare root roses or potted roses. Once you have decided what kind of roses you want to grow, ask yourself how you want to buy them. Bare root roses are the roots of roses that you can plant directly in the ground. You can also buy young roses already planted in a pot and transfer them to new soil. Both are available in garden centers. You can also order roses online.
   • Bare root roses are best planted early in the spring. That way they have time to sprout before summer starts.
   • You can keep pot roses indoors in the winter and put them outside when spring begins.
3. Purchase the correct supplies for planting the roses. In addition to the plant itself, you will also need some tools to plant the roses. So drive to the garden center and purchase the following things:
   • Pruning shears. Roses need to be pruned every so often to stay healthy, keep them growing, and keep them beautiful. Buy small curved pruning shears and slightly larger scissors for thicker branches.
   • Garden gloves. Protect yourself from thorns with a pair of thick gloves.
   • Fertilizer. Roses need to be fertilized a few times a year. For this you can buy fertilizer that is specially designed for roses, although this is not strictly necessary.
   • Bark. To keep pesticides away, it is wise to cover your rose bed with a layer of bark chips.
   • Compost or an earth mixture. Roses grow better in fertile soil, so it is a good idea to mix garden soil with compost.
   • A rake and a shovel. With this you can dig the earth to plant the roses.

Method 2 of 4: Planting roses

1. Choose a place to plant your roses. You will need a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day for this. Choose a place where there are not too many tree roots or other plants. Before planting, shovel the soil briefly, make sure it is well moist and add some compost to the soil if necessary.
   • Roses grow best when the soil has a pH level of between 6.3 and 6.8.
   • Determine whether the soil is getting enough water by checking the spot after a rain shower. If the soil is moist, but not soggy, your roses should survive just fine here. However, if you see that the soil is too dry or too wet, you will have to choose another place to plant your roses.
2. Water the roses to prepare them for planting. If you plant bare roots, put them in a bucket of water a few hours before planting. If you are planting a pot rose, it is best to water it a lot before putting it in the garden.
3. Dig a large hole. You will have to dig a large hole for each rose bush with your purchased shovel. The hole should be about 45.7 cm wide and 45.7 cm deep. The dimensions do not have to be accurate, but a hole of this size is suitable for most rose varieties. Mix the soil with the compost you bought and make a small mound in the hole and add some fertilizer.
   • If you plant more than one bush, make sure there is at least half a meter between the bushes. This way the roots of the shrubs have plenty of room to grow.
4. Plant the roses. Place the bare root rose or the pot rose on top of the knoll. Use a shovel to refill the rest of the hole with soil. The sprout of the plant should be about 5.1 cm above the ground. If you live in a colder region, you may need to dig the plant a little deeper to protect it from the cold temperatures.
   • If you are planting a pot rose, loosen the soil around the roots before putting the plant in the hole.
   • Make sure the soil around the roots is firmly packed. Press down on the soil with your hands to make sure there is no air left in the soil.
5. Water the roses. Make sure you water the area where you just planted the roses well. This water ensures that the soil adheres to the roots of the plant and thus the plant receives sufficient nutrition.
6. Now add the bark chips. Sprinkle a lot of bark chips over the area where you planted the roses. Lightly press the chips around the stem of the plant. This ensures that the temperature remains constant and the plant is protected.

Method 3 of 4: Taking care of roses

1. Water your roses regularly in the summer. Roses need a lot of water to grow. Never let the soil dry out, especially when the roses have just been planted. For older plants, you should water them about once a week.
2. Fertilize the roses. Even older rose bushes need to be fertilized a few times a year. Do this for the first time in early spring, then after the first bloom and possibly again after the second bloom. You can stop fertilizing by the end of the summer.
   • Some fertilizers release their substances slowly but surely, reducing the need to fertilize your roses.
   • Make sure you don't add too much fertilizer; this can lead to illnesses.
3. Prune the roses. Pruning roses keeps them both beautiful and healthy. The purpose of pruning is to keep the shrub from growing too dense. This prevents diseases and rotting twigs. You prune in a different way per season, but you always cut in the same way: just above the sprout and above the place where new twigs emerge. Always make sure to cut diagonally.
   • It is quite complicated to prune a rose too much, as new branches are constantly growing. You can therefore choose to cut away some new twigs if this makes your shrub look better.
   • Cut back dead branches in winter or early spring. Remove any other plants that grow around the stem of the rose bush. These steal the nutrition of the rose bush and that is of course not the intention. The shrub itself can also form new branches that disappear into the ground. Make sure this does not become too many and leave a maximum of 8.
   • In the summer, remove the dead roses. This will cause new blossom to grow faster.

Method 4 of 4: Protect roses against diseases and the weather

1. Make sure to protect roses during the winter. Tall roses can blow over or freeze during the winter. To prevent this, it is best to shorten the stem to about 0.6 m. Tie loose stems together and cover the base of the shrub with compost and straw. If the weather is warmer than 10 degrees, you can remove the straw and compost.
2. Use water to get rid of aphids. These mites are common and water is the best way to get them out. You can use a garden hose or plant sprayer for this. Watering the roses regularly will also help prevent lice from establishing themselves at all.
   • Avoid using an insecticide. This can damage your roses and also kill the bugs that support your plants.
   • Remove withered and discolored leaves.
   • If the mites keep coming back, you can try to get rid of them with a mixture of water and washing-up liquid. Spray this on the plants weekly.
   • You can also buy natural rosemary oil pesticide to protect your plants. This ensures that mites are killed, but other animals remain alive.
3. Protect your roses from black spots and powdery mold. It differs per rose species how much trouble the plants have from these ailments. So choose a variety that has little trouble. Does your rose bush have a certain disease? Then ask the garden center what you can do best about this.

Tips

• A good watering system is very important for gardens in general, but especially for rose bushes that are prone to overwatering.
• You can cut some roses every now and then to make a nice bouquet.