My boyfriend and I just bought a house that we are closing on next
week. The previous owner planted at least one (there may be more
around back, I'll have more information when we move in) rose bush. It
is basically a 2 - 2.5 foot stick poking out of the ground at the
moment, although leaves are starting to come out at the very top. I
have no experience what-so-ever with keeping roses alive and happy but
am excited to try my hand at it. I have a couple questions though.

1) What do I need? I know that roses like to be well fertilized, what
kind and how often should I do that? Are there any other supplies that
help with growing roses?
2) Does it matter what kind of rose it is? I don't know what variety
it is, do different varieties need different kinds of care?
3) I read that generally you have a few different main stalks after
you prune (which she did in the fall of last year, it would seem). Is
it unusual for there to be only one stalk? Is it going to be a problem
and if so, is there any way to fix it?

Thanks a lot for any help, it's greatly needed!

"Liz" wrote in message
om...
My boyfriend and I just bought a house that we are closing on next
week. The previous owner planted at least one (there may be more
around back, I'll have more information when we move in) rose bush. It
is basically a 2 - 2.5 foot stick poking out of the ground at the
moment, although leaves are starting to come out at the very top. I
have no experience what-so-ever with keeping roses alive and happy but
am excited to try my hand at it. I have a couple questions though.

1) What do I need? I know that roses like to be well fertilized, what
kind and how often should I do that? Are there any other supplies that
help with growing roses?

Roses like manure, alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, and lots of other organic
matter like shredded leaves and grass clippings to make the soil rich and to
feed them. For a newbie, a plain old balanced fertilizer with a 3:1:2 ratio
will be fine used as directed in addition to as much organic matter as you
can add. Add organics first thing in spring, as soon as the forsythia
bloom, and again in mid June. Do whatever the label tells you for whatever
brand of supplemental fertilizer you purchase. Depending on your location,
your rose may need to be sprayed to prevent disease. Many modern roses are
subject to a lot of disease. It depends on your climate which diseases may
be the most prevalent. You can purchase Immunox and Mancozeb at any local
nursery for not much money and rotating them every 10 days should give
decent control. You do NOT want to use the "Plus" formulations that contain
insecticides. Spraying preventatively for insects only leads to spider mite
invasions.


2) Does it matter what kind of rose it is? I don't know what variety
it is, do different varieties need different kinds of care?

Yes, different kinds of roses need different care. A hybrid tea, which is a
very upright growing rose with long stems of single blooms will require
fairly severe pruning in early spring to stimulate productive new growth. A
"shrub" rose can usually be pruned much like any other woody ornamental by
thinning out the oldest canes and just shaping up what's left. A climber
grows long canes that need to be attached to some type of support and
usually benefits from as little pruning as possible, and that done just
after the major spring flush. A rambler will have long flexible canes from
which it will bloom profusely in spring and really doesn't need more than a
shaping after that bloom. All will need the organics added to the soil, and
regular water. Some may need winter protection, or extra feedings, or any
number of other coddling. Some are as tough as nails and don't need much of
anything. Most antique roses are far less fussy than their modern cousins
and it's always exciting to find an older rose that's been at a home for
some time and survived with little care. This is how many antique roses are
found, at old homesteads and at graveyards.

3) I read that generally you have a few different main stalks after
you prune (which she did in the fall of last year, it would seem). Is
it unusual for there to be only one stalk? Is it going to be a problem
and if so, is there any way to fix it?

One stalk isn't a healthy rose. Pamper it with lots of compost and water to
encourage it to produce more canes, but don't expect it to recover and
become a healthy specimen. Pruning in the fall in a climate that gets cold
weather just encourages tender new growth that is very succeptible to winter
kill. You can't replace winter killed canes. They're dead. A healthy rose
can produce lots more canes from the base, but that takes time and energy.

If you are interested in roses, I suggest that you join the American Rose
Society, www.ars.org/ You can sign up online, and the magazine alone is
worth the membership fee. As a member, you are also entitle to help from a
Consulting Rosarian to help you sort out your rose growing problems. Many
CR's have a bit of a hybrid tea bias, so do some research on your own about
the different kinds of roses and the care requirements of each in your
climate before you take anything a CR says as gospel. I personally grow a
lot of antique roses that are very easy care and suited to my climate and
that mostly do not need to be sprayed for disease. Easy care roses DO
exist, if that's the kind you want to grow to add a bit of color to your
landscape. The fussy hybrid tea florist's type roses also exist if you just
want a few blooms every now and then for your table, but they require a bit
more work than an antique or a shrub rose.

First of all, you need to figure out what your growing zone is, what your
soil is like, and how much sun you have. These are the practically
unchangeable aspects of any garden, not just roses. Bad soil can be
improved over time, and trees that give too much shade can be cut down, but
winter cold is still winter cold, even if you have a microclimate close to
your house that might improve things slightly. Learn about these
unchangeable aspects of your new home and gardening in general before
planning anything too drastic.

Thanks a lot for any help, it's greatly needed!

You're welcome. :~)


Sunflower
MS 7b

It doesn't have to be as complex as Sunflower makes it out. enjoy the
rose, feed it a regular rose fertilizer and find out if you enjoy the
experience. Then get serious with all the fancy stuff we over the top
rose lovers do.

ben

Sunflower wrote:
"Liz" wrote in message
om...

My boyfriend and I just bought a house that we are closing on next
week. The previous owner planted at least one (there may be more
around back, I'll have more information when we move in) rose bush. It
is basically a 2 - 2.5 foot stick poking out of the ground at the
moment, although leaves are starting to come out at the very top. I
have no experience what-so-ever with keeping roses alive and happy but
am excited to try my hand at it. I have a couple questions though.

1) What do I need? I know that roses like to be well fertilized, what
kind and how often should I do that? Are there any other supplies that
help with growing roses?


Roses like manure, alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, and lots of other organic
matter like shredded leaves and grass clippings to make the soil rich and to
feed them. For a newbie, a plain old balanced fertilizer with a 3:1:2 ratio
will be fine used as directed in addition to as much organic matter as you
can add. Add organics first thing in spring, as soon as the forsythia
bloom, and again in mid June. Do whatever the label tells you for whatever
brand of supplemental fertilizer you purchase. Depending on your location,
your rose may need to be sprayed to prevent disease. Many modern roses are
subject to a lot of disease. It depends on your climate which diseases may
be the most prevalent. You can purchase Immunox and Mancozeb at any local
nursery for not much money and rotating them every 10 days should give
decent control. You do NOT want to use the "Plus" formulations that contain
insecticides. Spraying preventatively for insects only leads to spider mite
invasions.



2) Does it matter what kind of rose it is? I don't know what variety
it is, do different varieties need different kinds of care?


Yes, different kinds of roses need different care. A hybrid tea, which is a
very upright growing rose with long stems of single blooms will require
fairly severe pruning in early spring to stimulate productive new growth. A
"shrub" rose can usually be pruned much like any other woody ornamental by
thinning out the oldest canes and just shaping up what's left. A climber
grows long canes that need to be attached to some type of support and
usually benefits from as little pruning as possible, and that done just
after the major spring flush. A rambler will have long flexible canes from
which it will bloom profusely in spring and really doesn't need more than a
shaping after that bloom. All will need the organics added to the soil, and
regular water. Some may need winter protection, or extra feedings, or any
number of other coddling. Some are as tough as nails and don't need much of
anything. Most antique roses are far less fussy than their modern cousins
and it's always exciting to find an older rose that's been at a home for
some time and survived with little care. This is how many antique roses are
found, at old homesteads and at graveyards.


3) I read that generally you have a few different main stalks after
you prune (which she did in the fall of last year, it would seem). Is
it unusual for there to be only one stalk? Is it going to be a problem
and if so, is there any way to fix it?


One stalk isn't a healthy rose. Pamper it with lots of compost and water to
encourage it to produce more canes, but don't expect it to recover and
become a healthy specimen. Pruning in the fall in a climate that gets cold
weather just encourages tender new growth that is very succeptible to winter
kill. You can't replace winter killed canes. They're dead. A healthy rose
can produce lots more canes from the base, but that takes time and energy.

If you are interested in roses, I suggest that you join the American Rose
Society, www.ars.org/ You can sign up online, and the magazine alone is
worth the membership fee. As a member, you are also entitle to help from a
Consulting Rosarian to help you sort out your rose growing problems. Many
CR's have a bit of a hybrid tea bias, so do some research on your own about
the different kinds of roses and the care requirements of each in your
climate before you take anything a CR says as gospel. I personally grow a
lot of antique roses that are very easy care and suited to my climate and
that mostly do not need to be sprayed for disease. Easy care roses DO
exist, if that's the kind you want to grow to add a bit of color to your
landscape. The fussy hybrid tea florist's type roses also exist if you just
want a few blooms every now and then for your table, but they require a bit
more work than an antique or a shrub rose.

First of all, you need to figure out what your growing zone is, what your
soil is like, and how much sun you have. These are the practically
unchangeable aspects of any garden, not just roses. Bad soil can be
improved over time, and trees that give too much shade can be cut down, but
winter cold is still winter cold, even if you have a microclimate close to
your house that might improve things slightly. Learn about these
unchangeable aspects of your new home and gardening in general before
planning anything too drastic.

Thanks a lot for any help, it's greatly needed!


You're welcome. :~)


Sunflower
MS 7b