March and April are the months for Roses!
- Nutrient rich, well drained soil, well spaded or tilled
- A minimum of 5 to 6 hours of sunlight daily
- A soil Ph level between 6.4 and 7.5.
To Plant Bare Root Roses:
- Soak the roots overnight in a tub of water.
- Before planting , remove any damaged roots or canes, cutting about a quarter inch above a bud at a downward angle.
- Dig a hole about 18" by 18", then replace most of the soil in the hole to create a mound to support the roots.
- Drape the roots across the soil mound, making sure that the bud union (that knot of wood between the roots and the canes) is placed about an inch above the soil.
- Fill the hole three-quarters full of soil.Gently tap the soil around the roots and water thoroughly. When the water has completely soaked in , add the remaining soil and tamp lightly.
- Don't forget to mulch!
- Keep the potting mixture moist. When ready to plant, prune away any damaged canes or roots.
- Dig a hole large enough for the root system, container and all.
- Cut the bottom out of the rose pot and set in the prepared hole, adding soil halfway up the pot
- Cut the sides of the pot in two places and slide the sides out of the hole
- Refill the hole with soil around the roots of the rose, taking care not to cover the bud union.
- Mulch your roses!
- If you mulched in the fall, now is the time to replenish.
- If you have just planted your new roses, mulch them. In summer mulching helps prevent moisture loss and reduces weeds. In winter it offers protection from damaging frost and wind.
- Good mulches include garden compost, well-rotted manure, pine needles, and wood mulches
- Mulch to a depth of about 4 inches, but keep mulch a few inches away from the rose canes.
- March is the time to prune roses. Examine your established plants and remove any dead or diseased canes.
- Always use sharp pruners and be sure to make a clean, angled cut just above a bud.
- Protect pruned roses from pests and disease by sealing the cut with a pruning compound
- Prune by cutting away all dead wood, any canes or stems that are weak, thin or diseased, or stems which rubs against other stronger stems. Aim to form a well-ventilated, open-centered shrub.
- After blooming, deadhead spent flowers to just above the second or third leaf
- Have your soil analyzed! This will tell you what you need to add.
- For newly planted roses add a little fertilizer after the first blooming cycle.
- For established plants, begin fertilizing in the spring about a month before blooming begins.
- For all roses, try to get at least 2 cycles of fertilizing done in the growing season and discontinue about six weeks before the last blooms appear.
- Use fertilizer especially formulated for roses!