Roses are the masterpiece of all the flowers. In the world full of different flowers, the rose is considered as the symbol of love and also of friendship, enthusiasm, purity and joy.
Rose Types
Hybrid Tea are large single or double flowers usually on straight long stems that are good for cutting.
Floribunda blooms range from single to double produced in clusters, maintaining a long blooming period.
Grandiflora are the largest blooming and showiest type with flowers produced in clusters.
Climbers maybe be single double headed. The main shoots should be trained as horizontally as possible resulting in lateral growth.
Planting and Rose Care
The rose bed or planting hole should be well prepared with loam, peat moss and compost manure, plus 1 cup of bonemeal for each plant. Plant the bud union (looks like a swollen portion) 5 cm below the soil line and use a transplant fertilizer. Once the plant is established use a brand name rose food. These formulations contain many elements essential to the roses’ health. Apply once a month in May, June and July.
There are fungicides and insecticides available to prevent disease in your roses.
Roses should be watered well once a week.
Use a shredded bark or mulch around the plant to conserve moisture and keep down weeds.
Pruning
Cut the winter killed tips down to the live wood retaining 3-4 strong canes. This is called a hard pruning. By late spring the buds should be swelling and quite obvious. Pruning in mid-summer results in strong and vigorous replacements of new blooms. Cut low on the stem after the flower is done blooming.
Over Wintering
Reduce the watering schedule in the fall and allow the last flush of flowers on the plant to go to seed. Do not prune at this time unless the canes are so high they will be damaged by winds. Cover the soil around the rose shrub with either a rose collar or evergreen boughs to keep the soil frozen. Once spring arrives, remove the collar or boughs as things thaw.