GROWING ROSES IN SOUTH CAROLINA - By my friend, Billy
Growing roses can be fun and very rewarding as there are many different colors and fragrances of roses. I have been growing roses now for some thirty years and have learned over the years by trial and error which roses do best in our area as well as the best disease resistant and they type of soil needed to grow great roses.
LOCATION:
Location is key to growing roses. Select an area where you receive at least 8 to 10 hours of full sun each day. Morning sun is essential, but light afternoon shade is tolerated and even beneficial in hot summers.
SOIL:
Next roses need a good soil in which to grow. They grow best in a soil with a Ph of 5.5 to 7.0, rich in organic matter, with excellent drainage as they do not like to have their feet standing in water. If your soil is sandy or clay it can be improved with the addition of organic matter. Soil pH can be raised with the addition of lime (7 to 8 pounds per 100 square feet to raise the Ph). If you need to lower the Ph add powered sulfur according to directions.
SELECTING ROSES:
Look for roses with nice large canes and a good shape (similar to the outline of a vase), being open in the center for good air circulation and with no broken or dead canes. Your local garden shop is a good place to start and they can give you advice on the growing habits as well as disease resistant varieties.
TYPES OF ROSES:
First, you must decide what type of rose you want. Perhaps you will eventually want to try a variety for different locations in your yard.
1. Tea Roses are a multi-petal rose, typical of what most people think of roses. They are generally a fragrant rose and come in many colors. The beauty of this rose is that it continues to bloom if you are diligent at snipping off the dead blooms. Dead blooms sap the plant of vital nutrients, so dead heading (snipping) the dead rose is important. The blooms are large and gorgeous. This rose can survive in harsh winters but must be protected during snow season.
2. Floribunda is a pretty five-petal rose that blooms in beautiful large clusters. They are generally planted as a low hedge or a border plant. They generally bloom from June through October. Floribunda is a simple rose with a pretty, delicate appearance.
3. Grandifloras are great if you are a beginning rose gardener. This rose is extremely easy to grow and rewards you quickly with rich, abundant blooms in a variety of colors. They are a great cold weather rose and look beautiful in any garden or landscaping plan.
4. Climbing roses do well to decorate trellises, walls, or archways. They must be supported in some fashion though as they are climbers. Most of their blooms are at the midpoint and above. They add beauty to structures and are great for hiding ugly spots in your yard or garden.
5. Shrub roses grow in a rounded cluster, which makes them great for filling an empty space. These roses have an abundance of fragrant blooms and are very hardy and can stand harsh winters. They are also fairly disease resistant.
6. Mineature roses
These roses generally have no smell but grow great in containers as well as in a bed and are treated the same as the big roses.
PLANTING YOUR ROSES:
POTTED ROSES
When planting a potted rose you want to plant the rose at the same level as the ground or slightly higher as you want the bud union approximately 2 inches above ground level. Dig hole slightly larger than your pot as this will allow roots to spread and grow.
Make sure the bud union of the rose is at least 2 inches above ground level. There will be some settling of the bush and you need space for your summer mulch.
1. Fill in around the rose with soil. Firm soil around rose but do not stomp down. Water and let the soil settle. Fill the rest of the hole with remaining soil.
2. Mulch well with pine bark, pine bark mulch or rotten leaves as this will keep soil cool and moist during hot summer as well as discourage weed growth.
BARE ROOT ROSES
Note: Soak bare root roses in a bucket of warm water 8 to 10 hours or over night before planting. Remove any dead wood or canes before planting.
1. Dig hole approximately 20x20 inches. Add soil to hole making a cone shape with soil. Place rose on top of cone spreading roots along top of cone. Add water to hole and let drain. Add soil around rose and gently firm around rose. Water slowly and then add mulch or dry soil around rose. Water daily for several days until you see growth beginning. Once growth starts water at least one to two inches once a week and more during hot dry summer, keeping soil moist not soggy wet.
PRUNING:
The first step in spring pruning of Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas and Climbing roses is to remove any canes that are dead or just old and non-productive. These canes are usually gray in color and scaly. To prune hybrid tea and grandiflora roses follow these steps:
1. High pruning for more flowers earlier or low pruning for fewer, bigger flowers later
2. Pruning to remove weak and crisscrossing canes
3. Removing growth an inch below a canker
4. Removal of damaged, dead, or broken canes back to healthy growth
5. Removing sucker growth as close as possible to main root.
Following these steps will encourage growth from the base of plant. This new growth or shoots will soon produce new canes which is the life of your roses. This new growth should not be confused with "suckers" which arise from the rootstock below the graft union. Remove all suckers.
The next step involves taking a good look at the bud union. If you have any old, dry scaly wood on the union, remove it. Use a dull knife to scrape the bud union to remove the scaly wood. By doing this it will again make it possible for new basal breaks to come about.
Remove all twiggy growth on the remaining canes. (Note: This type pruning on climbing roses should be done after they bloom in the spring.) Try to clean out the middle of the bush as much as possible. This allows for good air circulation to prevent insects and disease.
Comment: Always prune to an outside bud. The basic technique for most pruning is to cut 1/4 inch above the nearest outward-facing bud with the cut at a 45-degree angle (the higher point above the bud). This means when picking the point on a given cane to cut back to, make sure there is a good bud on the cane facing toward the outside of the plant. This will insure the growth of the new bud is to the outside, therefore keeping the center of the rose bush clear and open for air circulation. Seal cuts with Elmer’s glue to prevent disease
When pruning is completed remove any old foliage left on the canes and spray with a mixture of Funginex or Benomyl and Orthene or Diazinon as a clean up spray. Spray the entire bush and the ground around the bush.
The final product of your pruning should be a rose bush about 18 to 24 inches tall with 4 to 8 canes. Add some fertilizer and regular pest spraying, and that pitiful looking rose bush will soon give you a shower of flowers.
Floribundas are usually not pruned as severely as hybrid teas. Even so, be sure to remove any dead, broken, damaged, or blotched branches back to where the center of the cane is white and healthy looking. Next, remove weak, spindly canes, canes growing toward the center of the bush, the weaker of two canes that crisscross, canes that grow out, then up, and suckers, if any. Finally, trim all remaining canes back to one-half their former height.
Miniatures - In the spring it is best Shrubs - Remove any dead canes and lightly trim remainder of bush, removing about a third of the growth. Mass blooming is the aim with these roses. Additional light grooming throughout the year is encouraged since ever blooming varieties bloom on new wood. Varieties that bloom only once during the season should be pruned AFTER they have bloomed since they bloom on old wood.
General - If the bush is over two years old, cut out one or more of the oldest and largest canes using a keyhole saw. Also, clean off the bud union with a dull knife. Seal any large cuts with Elmer's glue. Remove debris from beds and any leaves remaining on bush after pruning is completed.
Deadheading Roses
Removal of spent blooms (deadheading) is an important summer maintenance practice for roses, especially the continuous blooming varieties. Removing the spent blooms conserves the energy the plant would normally use for seed production, encourages repeat flowering, and removes potential disease harboring sites. To deadhead, remove the flower by cutting back, at a 45 degree angle, to the first outward facing bud in the axil of a leaf with five leaflets.
The continuous blooming climbing rose is deadheaded a little differently. Remove the spent blooms just above the foliage, making sure not to remove any of the foliage since new blooms will be produced from the leaves immediately below old flower clusters.
Fertilizing
Because roses are heavy feeders, a routine fertilization program is important for plant health and vigor. To provide the proper nutrients for your roses in the amounts needed for optimum growth, it is important to first test your soil to determine its pH. before adding fertilizer. A soil test kit can be obtained by calling your county Extension office. The amount of fertilizer and types of amendments you apply will be determined by the results of the soil test. Following the recommendations will assure you will neither over nor under fertilize your roses. A soil test should be done prior to planting and every two to three years thereafter.
Soil texture, which is the relative percentage of sand, silt and clay composing soil, will influence the amount and frequency of fertilizer application. Sandy loams, for instance, will require more frequent applications because they drain rapidly, leaching essential nutrients. They contain little clay (and possibly organic matter) that would normally hold nutrients.
It is always a good idea to amend your soil with organic matter, such as humus, peat moss, manure or composted sewage sludge for an added source of slow release nutrients. The addition of organic matter will also improve the soil's drainage and nutrient holding capacity. It is recommended that two to four inches of organic matter be added and worked into new beds to a depth of 12 inches. Many gardeners find the combination of organic materials and a fast release, complete, inorganic fertilizer, such as a 5-10-5, 10-10-10 or 12-12-12, works best to produce beautiful roses. Today there are several good rose fertilizers on the market that also have an insect control added into them which works systemically. These work great and help greatly in the control of insects.
Pruning
An area of concern for many gardeners new to growing roses is pruning. Why do you have to prune roses? What kind of tools do you need? When is the best time to prune? How do you prune? Does it matter what type of rose it is?
Basically, pruning is done to improve the appearance of the plant, to remove dead or diseased wood, to let in sunlight and air to the center of the plant and to control the quantity and quality of the flowers produced. Deadheading, or the removal of spent blooms during the season, encourages more blooms (on continuous blooming varieties), improves the appearance of the plant, and removes potential harboring sites for disease organisms.
Prune rose bushes to a uniform height, between 12 and 24 inches; remove suckers below the soil line.
The tools essential for pruning roses are pruning shears, long handled lopping shears and a fine toothed curved saw. All should be sharp to produce clean cuts and to avoid tearing or crushing the stems. When buying pruning shears, look for the hook and blade type, which have two cutting edges like a pair of scissors. The anvil type pruners, with one cutting edge, will crush the stem. Long handled lopping shears are best used on thick canes or ones difficult to reach with pruning shears. A fine toothed curved saw is used for larger climbing roses. You might also want to invest in a pair of heavy duty gloves to protect your hands from sharp thorns.
In general, roses should be pruned just before growth begins in March or early April. The exceptions are old (heirloom) roses and some climbers that produce blooms on the previous year's wood. They should be pruned after they bloom.
Pruning Bush Roses
Following a logical sequence of steps while pruning will help make the job seem less complicated. The first step is to remove any dead, diseased or damaged wood. Cut the stems one inch below darkened areas, making sure you are cutting back to green wood. Make the cut at a 45 degree angle about 1/4 inches above an outward facing bud. Inspect the center of the stem. It should be white. If tan colored, continue pruning sections of the stem until the center appears white.
The second step is to remove branches that grow toward the center of the plant. This opens up the plant for better air circulation and allows sunlight to penetrate the inner portion of the plant.
The third step is to locate crossing branches and remove the weakest one. Crossing branches may rub against each other, causing abrasions that may serve as openings for disease organisms to enter the plant. Remove sucker growth, which is growth coming from below the bud union. Sucker growth is from the root stock and is a different rose variety. If not removed, sucker growth will crowd out the desired variety.
Finally, prune to shape the plant. Hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas can be pruned 12 to 24 inches in height, leaving up to 9 to 12 large (1/2 inch diameter), healthy canes. Old, shrub and species roses should be pruned lightly, removing no more than 1/3 of the growth. Miniature roses need only minimal pruning.
After pruning seal cut surfaces of the stems to prevent rose cane borers from entering with Elmer’s glue.
Winter Protection
Reduce stress on roses going into the dormant season by irrigating adequately in late autumn and discontinuing fertilization in late summer or early autumn. Add mulch to a depth of 4 to 6 inches to cover bud union during winter to prevent freezing.
I hope this article will help and encourage you to try to grow roses in your garden.
For specific questions, you can contact Billy at this email address
