Newfoundland Horticultural Society

A ROSE GROWER'S PRIMER – II

by  Harry McGee ©National-Roses-Canada 2008      

In the last issue, we discussed what kind of roses would be best for you to plant to match your love of the flowers with the amount of time you are prepared to give them. We recognized that the luscious high-centred roses take a lot of time and care, and unless you have no other priorities, you may be wise to plant roses with fewer petals, that have more relaxed growth habits, and that can survive winters without much babying. But if you mean to compete in rose shows and have loads of time on your hands and enjoy work, buy roses that are advertised as having exhibition form.

Now we will talk about placement and planting.

Roses are amazingly forgiving if you avoid a few things they hate! They hate shade; they hate competition; they hate wind and wet feet. There are roses that will tolerate each of these things, but they are special cases and not the general run, and we will not talk about them now.

First shade. Roses love sunshine - especially morning sunshine. A good six hours of it. They are not so keen on the hot afternoon sun which tends to be drying when the ambient temperature has risen to the day's high. It's a good idea to choose a spot for your roses at the time of year when the trees are in full leaf because that will allow you to see where the shade is during the growing season. Observe where the shade is in the morning, at noon and in the afternoon. A little bit of shade from noon to 2 pm isn't too serious in southern latitudes as it can be pretty hot. [The writer is writing from southern Ontario – not Newfoundland, where “too hot” is rarely a problem!] Pick the places that will give your roses a total of at least six hours of sun.

Next competition. Roses will not compete for root space. They will throw in the towel if there is a tree or other vigorously growing plant close by. Even a clematis with a massive root system will make a rose stop climbing if it is too close. So, of the places you have picked, eliminate those that are proximate to trees and plants with aggressive and thirsty root systems. This is important. It is even important to determine if roses have been growing before in the spot you have picked. Roses have a defensive mechanism that exudes something at their root-tips to fend off other roses or plants invading their space. Rose propagators know this and move their rose fields every year or two to virgin soil. It is the fate of rose gardeners not to be able to do that, and to have to watch successive plantings in the same gardens grow more slowly or not at all! Donald Heimbecker told me about watching British rose maintenance crews dig out beds of roses and soil to a depth of 18 inches, replace the soil and re-plant with new roses. He asked them what they were doing and learned that they do this routinely every five years.

Wind, particularly winter wind, will dry out rose canes and foliage and stunt them in summer or kill them in winter. Open fields where wind comes sweeping in unobstructed will not please a rosebush. Or the venturi tube formed between two closely constructed buildings. Climbers like a wall to obstruct wind (and retain warmth through the night and in winter). Yet, on the other hand, roses fare well when there is good air circulation to clean out dew and dampness that encourages fungus attacks. Choose good circulation but not high velocity air movement.

Wet feet! Absolutely not! Do not plant a rose at the bottom of your garden where it is low and the water lies for days when it rains or when snow melts. Roses like continuous moisture (minimum of an inch per week) but soggy boggy conditions? Uh-uh. There are one or two species that will grow at water's edge, but none you can buy. The steady requirement for moisture has implications for your soil. If it is sandy and dries out quickly, you must amend it with peat and compost to improve its water retention properties, and water it frequently during droughts. Clay loam is better, providing it is kept friable, because the capillary action between the finely divided particles will keep moisture coming up from the water table avoiding the worst effects of drought.

I'll tell you what is the absolute best.  In 2003, I spoke to Tony Bracegirdle who won the Glasgow rose competition with his huge high-centred roses. He told me he is located on a hillside in Lancashire that is watered by a natural spring. The water has a pH of 6.5, ideal for roses. With frequent morning showers off the Irish Sea and a mild climate that knows no burning sun, the roses are unbelievably perfect.

It goes without saying that roses should not be planted where there is pollution or contamination. If the builder of your house jettisoned acidic or toxic materials on your property before leveling and covering with topsoil, stay away. Even the cement, which leaches from your concrete foundation, is not good. Therefore stay two or three feet from a foundation. That will also reduce three other problems that come with pressing against a house: (1) overheating if on the south side, (2) less rain under the soffit, and (3) poor air circulation.

Have you now picked the perfect place for your roses? Good! Now, go get 'em; roses that are compatible with your free time and stamina. Do not, repeat not, find some at the grocers or the hardware or other outlet that have been imported from southern states where they were grown on understock unsuited to Canadian winters. Ignore the tempting half-price. You haven't got time to become a specialist in understock. So go to the nursery that is absolutely reliable when it comes to such matters. The roses will probably be potted up and growing. If you plan to plant three or four or more, you would be wise to consult a trustworthy rose propagator some months ahead of planting time. (The suppliers that sponsor colour covers of this journal – Roses Canada - are trustworthy in important matters of label reliability and business practices.) Such suppliers offer you a much greater variety and will also provide you with bare-root stock that will not have been cut off to fit into a pot. Ask for their catalogue and order grade 1 stock suited to your climatic zone.

Planting time for roses is the same as for trees. Best time is early in spring or late in the fall. This article comes to you at the optimum time – September - to obtain a catalogue and place an order that will be delivered to you for late fall planting (or preferably delayed to early spring). If planted late in fall, the rose will proceed to grow roots through part of the winter and be quite well established come spnng.

Now for the actual planting. The first thing you should understand is that a $5 rose in a $15 hole is better than a $15 rose in a $5 hole. In other words, your planting method is the single most important thing you can do for your rosebush. Well situated; well planted; well tended. That should be your motto.

If your package contains bare root plants, open it carefully and carefully unwind its moist root systems in the shade. Prune off any damaged ends and place the plant in a pail or tub of water around room temperature. Never let the roots dry or get exposed to the sun. Some people like to let the roots soak up water for up to six hours, but this is not necessary. Some like to add a mild fertilizer to kick-start growth, but there are dangers in over-doing it.

While the roots are soaking, start digging. Remember to use a long-handled shovel as a courtesy to your back. Dig holes 18" (45 cm) deep and same diameter. Put the good topsoil in one pile and the subsoil in another. Unless the plants are miniatures, dig the holes about 23 inches (60 cm) apart. If you know the plant will grow much larger than average, extend that spacing appropriately. If you live in an area where there isn't 18" (or 45 cm) of soil above the rock, truck in a load of the stuff and spread about until you have the desired depth.

Now mix up a pail of things that will stimulate rapid growth: (1) a shovel blade heaped with well-composted cow manure (less if sheep or horse; never use poultry); (2) a handful of bone meal (since mad-cow disease, make sure not to breathe the powder); and (3) the remainder of rich compost or leaf mould. Put that mixture plus a pail of the topsoil in the hole. Mix them together and pull into a cone in the middle of the hole. Now take your rosebush out of the water and fan the roots out evenly over that cone (see figure below). Lay your shovel handle across the hole and lower the rosebush until the bud union - that knotty little graft at the top of the root - is the depth below the surface recommended by rose growers in your local rose society. In Canada this will be somewhere between 2 and 6 inches (5 and 15 cm). If the rosebush is not grafted and is on its own root, lower the bush until the ground level is midway between branches and roots. It will eventually subside a bit more.

Keeping the rosebush fixed at the ideal depth, add another pail of mixed topsoil and stimulants so that the root system is covered. Then add the remaining topsoil and lastly the subsoil (or better yet, topsoil from somewhere else) until the hole is almost filled. Now tamp the soil lightly with your foot or fist to remove air pockets. Then pour a pail of water in the hole and let it sink in. Do this even if it is raining. Make sure the bud union stays at the right level even if you have to tug it up gently. Now finish filling the hole.

Prune the canes (branches) so only three or four of the healthiest remain - about 5" (13 cm) long - and let nature do the rest. You have now given the rosebush a deluxe planting.

If your purchase is a potted rosebush, you should not disturb its roots, especially if growth is advanced. I prefer to remove the peat pot because there are sometimes air pockets in the bottom. So dig the same hole and make the same cone. But with a very sharp knife, cut around the bottom rim of the pot and remove the bottom. Set the pot on top of the cone so no earth falls out. Adjust the plant so the bud union is at the right level as above, and then slit the side of the pot and gently unwrap the peat casing. Fill the hole, tamp, water, etc. just as with the bare root rosebushes.

In both cases, earlier is better - before growth begins. Take some dead leaves or compost, hill it up around your new plant(s) for a couple of weeks to protect it from sun, wind, and frost until the root system is in full operation. If it is late fall, replace it with winter cover; if spring, pick it away or spread it out as mulch.

Remember you are in Canada. Much of what you read about roses originates in the States. Even local newspaper articles are picked up by journalists subscribing to garden writers of American service organizations. Much of it is wrong wrong wrong for Canada. You should take no heed of any rose advice unless a Canadian author, experienced in your own neck of the woods, writes it. You won't catch Roses Canada reprinting anything south or north of the border.

In the next issue, we will discuss winterizing.

By permission of the author  .   .   .  HM