by Kimberley A. Willis

Created on: August 15, 2009

Planting and Care of Roses

Roses are one of the first flowers many gardeners want to plant. Garden roses are very diverse, from modern landscape roses that require minimal care to hybrid teas which require considerable maintenance. There are roses, however, that are suitable for every sort of garden and gardener. In this article we will discuss rose care and planting.

Rose types

Hybrid teas are the roses commonly sees in the florist shop. They are generally grafted on to a hardy rose rootstock. They will require spraying, fertilizing and deadheading at regular intervals to look good. Hybrid teas come in a wide range of colors and sizes. Some are fragrant. They generally bloom for most of the summer.

Grandifloras and floribunda roses have smaller blooms than tea roses, usually born in clusters. The plants are more shrub-like. They can be grown on their own roots or grafted. They range from very hardy to not so hardy. They require slightly less care than tea roses, bloom for much of the summer, and some are fragrant.

Shrub roses are generally a term for larger roses that bloom once, usually in early summer. The flowers are generally small. There are old and new varieties and these too vary in hardiness. Some are very easy to care for, with great disease resistance, but others require more care.

Landscape roses generally refer to the new, disease resistant, hardy roses. They are generally easy to care for, bloom all summer and are great for beginning gardeners. The flowers are usually small and most are not fragrant. They come in a wide range of colors and sizes.

Climbing roses vary in hardiness and care requirements. Miniature roses are small replicas of all the other varieties and can be grown in containers or indoors. They are often surprisingly hardy in the garden too.

Choosing roses

Roses are sold as bare root stock in a dormant condition or as potted plants. Most roses sold from catalogs are bare root plants. You can get hundreds of varieties this way. Potted roses are generally sold in local stores and the selection will be more limited.

Bare root roses should be planted in early spring. Buy them as soon as the stores put them out and keep them in a cool, dark spot until ready to plant. Bare root rose canes should look green and firm, not black and shriveled. You do not want them to begin growing in storage. If sprouts begin, rub them off with your fingers.

Potted roses can be

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