Learn Rose Gardening

Before you buy a truckload of amendments, have your soil tested. Your County Extension Agent can provide information about state or private labs and procedures. Tests are cheap and, if you indicate you're going to grow roses, they can tell you very specifically what you should add to provide necessary nutrients and to adjust soil pH (roses prefer a slightly acid soil).

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If your soil is generally good, any organic matter you can add will make it better for roses. Rosarians (as rose experts are called) suggest mixing good garden loam with up to an equal amount of organic material, such as compost, manure, or peat moss, and about 10% coarse sand to improve drainage. Add superphosphate at a rate of 3 to 4 lb. per 100 sq. ft. to stimulate root growth. Work amendments in to a depth of 12 to 15 in. Poor soil can be improved with great quantities of amendments, or you can build raised beds 16 to 20 in. high on top of it, importing loam and organic amendments.

To prepare a planting hole for an individual rose, as opposed to a bed full of them, dig a generous hole, 18 in. wide and deep, and amend the excavated soil in the proportions mentioned above. There is a danger in amending small quantities of soil-the plant may not grow out into the surrounding soil, particularly if the native soil is poor. Confer with local experts to see what roses are known to do well in native soil-you might find more satisfaction growing these.

Good drainage is essential for roses. To check your soil, dig a hole 1 ft. deep and fill it with water. If the water hasn't drained completely in an hour, drainage needs improvement. If just a little water is left, adding organic matter may correct the problem. If a lot remains, you may need to install drainpipe to clear water from the root zone.

PLANTING:
Roses are easy to plant. The only complication is determining where to position the bud union on a grafted rose. (Many popular roses are grafted onto a rootstock more robust than their own.) Experts disagree on the subject. Some recommend placing the bud union 2 in. below the soil line in areas where winter temperatures fall below -10°F; at the soil level where winter lows are between -10° and 10°F; and 2 in. above soil level where lows are above 10°F. Others plant the bud union even with the soil surface in all climates. Confer with local rosarians or nursery staff to see what seems to work best in your area. Plants grown on their own roots should be planted at the same height they grew in the field-usually indicated by a ring of discoloration at the base of the plant.

PLANTING BARE-ROOT ROSES:

1. Soak the roots for a few hours (but not much longer), then trim any that are damaged.
2. Excavate a generous planting hole, even in a prepared bed. Mound soil in the bottom to place the bud union at the desired height.
3. Spread the roots over the soil mound, trimming those that are too long to fit the hole. Work additional soil around the roots, eliminating air pockets, until the hole is half full.
4. Drench the soil and roots, let drain and add soil to grade, then water again.
5. Mound 8 to 12 inches of soil around the canes to protect them from wind and sun. When new shoots are several inches long, gradually wash the mound away until it is level with the surrounding soil.
6. Add a generous mulch of chipped bark, rough compost, or gravel to help retard evaporation. A soil moat, built a few inches high around the perimeter of the planting hole, will also help retain water.

PLANTING CONTAINER-GROWN ROSES:

1. Before planting, soak the soil in the container. When the soil is moist but not soggy, slide off or cut off the container. Disturb the root ball as little as possible, but if a great many roots are visible on the surface of the ball, gently untangle them.
2. Carefully place the plant in the hole, spreading disentangled roots so they don't encircle the ball. Build up soil under the ball to bring the bud union to the correct position.
3. Proceed as outlined above for bare-root plants. Container plants are likely to have broken dormancy, so don't mound soil over the aboveground portion.