by Sam Madsen

Created on: August 24, 2010   Last Updated: August 26, 2010

Growing roses, doesn't have to be scary, or cause you to pull your hair out. Actually growing roses is really not that hard at all. They do require a bit more attention than some perennial flowers, but to some people, the Rose's beauty and fragrances more than make up for the little extra effort to grow them.

Roses come in a wide range of types, sizes and colors. All you have to do is be able to decide what type of rose you want to add to your yard. As a rule of thumb, roses generally do better in full sun, or at the very least half a day'sworth of direct sun. With this in mind, choose your spot to plant your new rose, or roses.

Choosing from a weeping tree rose, a climbing rose, hybrid tea rose, or a prize winning rose bush, you will have an abundance of beauty to create a splash of color in your yard. Read the information provided with the rose, and make sure that it is a disease and insect resistant rose. This will keep from the frustration of what to do for it.

Growing roses starts with the planting, and the dirt mixture. Once you have your choice and ready to plant, you will want to dig your hole a full size bigger than the root ball. Make sure the dirt in the hole is loose and not all packed tight. By loosening the dirt in the bottom and on the sides, you will be giving the roots room to reach and grow more easily.

Next, use any brand of “bone meal”, sprinkle some of this in the hole first, and then add some of your good dirt. Such as a “miracle grow” brand potting soil or garden mix, this brand already has plant food in it, that will last about three months. You don't want too much dirt in the hole before the plant, just enough to give a good mixture, to the bottom roots of the plant.

Now, place the rose in the new hole, careful to only bury it just to the bottom of the bulb looking part of the stem.  Pack the dirt around it tightly, making sure there aren't any air pockets by the roots. If there are, this will ultimately rot the roots and kill the plant. Once planted, water it thoroughly and watch it grow.

You will only need to spray a rose about once a week, to keep “black spot” at bay. You can find a good rose care product for this at most yawn and garden centers. Black spot is the main thing that will cause you to see spots on the leaves and then they will fall off. The plant is not dead, and if you go ahead and spray it, soon you will start to see the new growth peaking through.

A key thing to remember is to cut off all the spent roses, cutting them with pruning shears on an angle. Make your cut just before the next leaf on the stem. Generally you will see the new growth start from here. If you follow these helpful hints, you shouldn't have too many problems growing roses and the rewards of these beautiful and wonderfully smelly gems are well worth it.

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