Gardens

Roses - Culture

Roses aren't easy to grow...but your chances of success with roses will increase considerably if you follow these suggestions.

Choose a well-drained site where your roses will receive full sun for at least half the day. The best soil for roses is a rich, clay loam, slightly acid with a high organic content.

Sun is important …

You can plant roses in late winter here in Georgia. They can also be planted in the spring if they are container-grown plants.

Prepare to dig a hole…

When you're setting out your plants, dig the hole large enough for the roots to spread out in their natural position. Make the hole deep enough so that the "nub" or crook in the main stem where the plant was budded is one inch above the surface after the soil settles. The soil mixture in the planting hole should be about one fourth peat moss or well-rotted manure.

Roses require lots of fertilizer.

Roses need a lot of food, and cow manure is one of the best fertilizers you can use. On established plantings, work two or three inches of cow manure into the soil around the plants in early spring.

When the first flower buds appear, spread two or three pounds of 8-8-8 fertilizer or the equivalent per 100 square feet. Work the fertilizer into the soil and water it thoroughly afterward. Apply 8-8-8 every two months until early fall. You can use liquid fertilizer on roses, but be sure it's diluted properly. If it's too concentrated, it will injure the plants.

Prune carefully.

The method and amount of pruning you'll do on your roses will depend on what type they are. As a rule, to maintain healthy growth, prune the weak-growing varieties lightly and the vigorous varieties more severely.

Prune roses from late January to mid-February to a height of 15-18 inches above ground level. A late August or early September pruning is recommended, too. At this time, prune the roses to a height of 24 to 30 inches above the ground.

Gardens