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Growing and Caring For Your Garden Roses
1. The rose plant is not getting enough sun. Roses need at least 6 hours of direct sun a day to perform well. Too much shade is a very bad thing for roses.
2a. The rose needs more water. Roses like at least an inch of water per week during the growing season. Keep the soil moist but not drenched.
2b. The rose is being overwatered. A rose will die if its roots are in standing water. Good drainage is definitely needed.
3a. The plant has been given too much fertilizer, especially Nitrogen. Too much fertilizer can either damage the plant or cause it to grow extra leaves and stems at the expense of blooms.
3b. The plant does not have enough nutrients. Fertilize the plant with a fertilizer that has an approximate NPK ratio of 1:2:1.
4. The rose is a new plant. Don't expect too much from a plant during its first year, and don't prune a new plant for 2 to 3 years, or until it grows OVER 3 feet tall.
5. Rose is a once blooming variety. This means it will bloom only once a year in the late spring or early summer. These roses bloom on last year's growth, so if you prune that growth off, it will never bloom. Once bloomers should only be pruned in the summer, just AFTER they have bloomed.
6. Soil pH is too low or too high. If the pH is not in the range of 6.0 to 6.8 (ideally 6.5) then nutrient uptake will be reduced, and the plant won't be getting the food it needs to produce flowers.
7. Not enough foliage. If the bush doesn't have adequate foliage, it can't produce the food it needs to make new flowers. Inadequate foliage may result from disease or too little fertilizer.
8. Your rose is barely hanging on and trying not to die. Does your bush NEVER get any bigger, and just stay at the size of about 2 feet tall? It needs one or more of the above fixes.
'National Trust'
Roses prefer a full day of sun. Give roses at least 6 hours of direct sun a day. Morning sun is especially important because it dries the leaves which helps prevent fungal diseases.
Most roses do poorly in shade. Plants bloom less, are leggy, and are more likely to get diseases.
Many Hybrid Musks and some Albas can tolerate partial shade. A few other varieties including the Floribundas "Gruss An Aachen" and Iceberg can be planted in partial shade.
A few other varieties that may grow in partial shade include the Hybrid Rugosas, Zephirine Drouhin (Bourbon), Souvenir du Docteur Jamain(HP) and Madame Plantier.
'Eden'
Roses appreciate lots of water. Water generously, at least 1 inch/week, preferably 2 inches/week during growing season. Water every 4-7 days during the summer when needed. Each bush needs about 4-5 gallons/week during the hot summer.
Roses get all their food either through through their roots or their leaves (foliar feeding). The only medium for transporting food is water.
Infrequent deep watering is preferred to frequent light watering to help promote a deep root system. Deep root systems help the rose to survive both droughts, and winter freezes. Frequent, light watering causes roots to form very near the soil surface, making the plant more susceptible to summer 'baking' and winter freezes.
Try to avoid getting the leaves wet (which promotes disease) when watering late in the day. However, on hot days wetting the foliage can reduce transpiration and relieves heat stress.
There are several search engines on the web devoted to roses. This is the best place to search for unusual, older and little known rose varieties. Help Me Find is the best: HelpMeFind Rose Search
The other two great ones are: Every Rose
And: Find My Roses
Absolutely Yes! There are hybridizers who have made certain that you can grow roses anywhere except for the most extreme arctic type climates. The Canadian Government has sponsored a rose hybridizing program that has developed hardy varieties. The 'Explorer' series is one of these. Also Dr. Griffith Buck of Iowa, USA, spent his lifetime developing cold hardy roses. These are known as 'Buck' roses, and many of these varieties are still available. Also Dr. and Mrs. Brownell of Rhode Island, USA also developed a series of cold hardy roses. These are known as the 'Brownell' roses.
Hybrid Rugosa roses are also known for their winter hardiness. There are also several species roses, that is, natural wild roses, that have developed in the far northern climates and will do well even in areas with extremely low winter maximum temperatures.
For recurrent blooming roses: Most people who have a true winter should prune their garden roses in the early spring, just before the leaf buds start their growth spurt. Look here for More Detailed Pruning Information
People without a true winter should prune their roses in December and January (Northern Hemisphere), or June and July (Southern Hemisphere). Those without a true winter should also remove the leaves from their plants, or spray with dormant oil in order to let them go dormant for a month or so.
For once Blooming Roses: Prune after the plant has totally finished blooming, usually in mid summer. The new wood produced after this time will result in next years blooming.
Believe it or not, MOST modern roses don't have a good scent. Rose scent is entirely determined by their particular variety. Over the years, hybridizers of roses have concentrated much more on Shape and color of bloom, as well as bush disease resistance than they have on scent.
The trend towards hybridizing FOR scent has changed recently an many more scented varieties are being introduced to the market. This is something you have to pay attention to when buying a rose plant. By the way, if a rose isn't listed as having a STRONG scent, then it probably has little scent at all. Marketing departements tend to overexaggerate (read: lie about) claims about scent.