How to Grow Beautiful Roses

Knowing what type of rose you are growing well help significantly. You want to be sure that you are growing roses that will fit your needs and accomplish your desire. Below you will find the types of roses and how each one will perform.

Hybrid Tea roses are the most popular rose of all roses. They produce large, frangrant blooms and are and grow upto 6 feet. They are used as cut flowers and are the same roses used by florists. They typically grow have one bloom per stem. They also come in all colors except black or blue. Popular Hybrid Teas would include Mr. Lincoln, St. Patrick, Brandy and Double Delight.

Other types of roses include:
Grandiflora
Floribundas
Miniatures
Mini-Floras
Climbing Roses
Old Garden Roses
Shrubs
Polyanthas

For a complete list of rose types and pictures of each one check out Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society's 'Type of Roses' page.

Grafted roses are sold based upon American Nursery Standards grades 1,
1 1/2, and 2. Plants that are sold as own-root are not graded, so there is no real clear-cut standard. Size can vary from source to source.



Standard Rose Grades

Grade 1 plants have three or more canes that are about 3/4 of an inch in diameter and have no more than 3-4 inches between the graft union and the top of the roots. They also have a large, well-developed root system. Grade 1 plants must be 2 years old when harvested from the field. These are generally premium-priced rose plants. Grade 1 1/2 roses have two strong canes and with care will catch up to Grade 1 roses. Grade 2 roses are the "bargain" or "cheap" roses. They are often plants with very small canes, often substandard, and are usually not worth the extra effort required to nurse them along. It is usually better to buy several Grade 1 roses each year than a dozen inferior plants that may never result in good garden specimens.

Resource: Our Rose Garden

Fertilizer is an important component when growing beautiful roses. Fertilizer helps to insure new blooms, lush new growth, foliage growth, strength and other important factors. Here are some of the most important rose fertilizers.



A basic granular, organic or natural-based fertilizer with a balanced nutrient ratio in the single digits (example: 5-5-5)
This fertilizer provides the basic NPK and micronutrient building blocks for plant growth and bloom. There are many acceptable brands available. Avoid fertilizers with manufactured chemical ingredients, like Urea. These can burn your plants and don't do anything to build up your soil.

Bone Meal or rock phosphate
Helps promote blooms. More blooms equals a more beautiful rose bush!

Fish/Kelp Liquid Fertilizer
Fish provides a nitrogen source and kelp adds necessary trace minerals.

Alfalfa Meal or Tea
Alfalfa contains triconatol, which promotes plant growth. Alfalfa also conditions the soil.

Epsom Salts(magnesium sulphate)
Promotes enzyme activity in the soil, and also promotes more basal breaks in roses resulting in more blossoms.

Compost
Feeds the soil by adding organic matter and basic nutrients, which will improve the soil and soil life. Nutrients in healthy, living soil are more easily absorbed by plant roots.

For more information on these fertilizers and how and when to use them check out this helpful guide at Spring Valley Roses

Pests and diseases can be a problem when growing roses, or any other plant for that matter. Knowing what to look for and being able to identify it will better help your when treating the problem.

Aphids are the most common pests on roses, especially, in the south. They feed on new shoots and buds causing damage. Among Aphids, there are several other insects that will make their way to your roses and feast.

Unfortunately, insects are thing only things you have to worry about when growing roses. Just like other plants, diseases come with the territory. Rust, Black Spot, and Powdery Mildew are a few of the diseases that roses can catch. Black Spot, or BS, is a common disease found on roses. It causes yellowing of the leaves and stalks as well as black spots. If left untreated black spot can take over your entire rose garden with in a few days because it is very contagious and it spread by water splash.

How to Treat Black Spot on Roses
For more info and a great pictorial guide check out Pests and Diseases by Wikipedia. Their tutorial shows pictures of each pest along with valuable information on pests and diseases.

For more information on treating and preventing pests and diseases read Rose Diseases and Pests by the Olympia Rose Society

There is a lot of talk about which method is better; stem cuttings or seeds? While both methods are correct, it really depends on your personal preferences.

Stem cuttings may be easier and require less time but the success rate depends on the quality of the parental rose and how your care for the cuttings. As long as you choose a healthy plant, keep them moist but not too wet and insure that they are in a good environment, you will have new rose bushes in no time. For more information on growing roses from stem cuttings check out my other lens How to Grow Roses From Stem Cuttings.

Growing roses from seeds can produce many more several roses at one time. However, it takes more time due to pollinating, growing the rosehip, harvesting, planting and waiting on them to sprout.

Growing roses from seeds can have many benefits you won't get from stem cuttings. When hybridizing (pollinating the mother plant with a different variety of plant), you can get create awesome colors and in the rare chance great a new variety altogether.

While there are only a few ways to propagate roses, stem cuttings and seeds are the most common. However, growing roses from seeds can take lots of time and patients along with trial and error. I have found that growing roses from stem cuttings is the most effect way and requires only 2-3 weeks. I prefer to grow roses from stem cuttings to insure proper color, quick rooting and to save money.

Here are some helpful links for propagating roses by seeds:

How to Grow Roses From Seed by Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society

FAQs About Rose Propagation from Seeds by Albert Alford

How to Grow Roses From Seed by the American Rose Society

While roses are beautiful and easy to maintain, they still require some pruning as part of their maintainance.

When pruning roses the first step is to always ccut back spent blooms. Once each bloom as flourished but on a stunning show, it's time to cut them back. Some rose growers choose cut them back when they begin to wilt other wait until their petals have dropped. Either way is fine as long as they are cut back soon after losing their petals.


How to cut back spent blooms:

Using a sharp pair of sheers, cut the stalk back to the first set of leaves after the bloom. Be sure to make the cut at a sharp angle to allow for the water to run off. Also be sure to cut as close to the set of leaves with out injuring them.

Maintenance Pruning
As with any plant or tree some maintainance pruning is required. The most important is how you prune. While there are several ways to prune, the two most common is cutting them back to the ground in the winter or cutting them back 1/2 to 1/3 every Spring.

While both methods are effective it varies by the grower. Some prefer to cut them back to the ground so that it promotes lush growth in the winter while others prefer to keep the heigth and therefor cut them up to 1/2 way back to the main stalks in the spring.

Currently, I only have a few roses but they are steadily growing as well as new additions. I just started my rose garden in the spring of 2008 and hope to continue it for many years. I love red long stem roses.

My Current Collection:
Mr. Lincoln -Red

Perfume Delight - Dark Pink

Gold Glow- Bright Yellow

Golden Materpiece- Rich Golden Yellow

Pristine - Pink and White

White Cherokee Climber - White

(2) Double Knock-Out Pink - Dark Pink

Blue Girl - Lavender

Double Delight - Cream and Deep Pink

Angel Face- Mauve

John F. Kennedy - White

Charisma- Yellow and Orange

Sterling Silver- Lavender Silvery

Mirandy- Deep Red

Gypsy- Deep Red

Joseph's Coat- Various Shades of Orange, Pink, Red, and Yellow (changes color)

Kordes Perfecta- White and Pink

Hondo- Yellow and Pink

Queen Elizabeth- Soft Pink

Snow Fire- Red on one side, White on the other

Just Joey- Apricot

Paradise- Pink and Mauve

Roses are THE most popular choice for wedding flowers. Brides use roses throughout their wedding theme by incorporating them in their bridal bouquets, wedding favors, and wedding ceremony accessories. Although white and ivory colored roses are used most often, pinks and reds are also very popular choices. So when it is time for your big day, be sure to incorporate some of the roses shown in this lens for a stunning look at your wedding!

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