Ravishing Roses
Basic Rose Care

1011 N. Woodlawn

Kirkwood, Missouri

63122

314-965-3070

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2. Find a sunny spot (4-6 hours minimum)
Shrubs that flower heavily need sun.  Roses require a minimum of six consecutive hours of daily sunshine to optimize their flowering capabilities, unless you’re planting one of the low-maintenance Knock-Out Roses, which will bloom in 4 hours of sun.  However, it is useful to know that varieties that have fewer petals in the bloom will tolerate the shade more than heavily petalled roses which need ample amounts of heat and light to open properly. 
The color of the bloom is also affected by the amount of sun…the more sun, the brighter the color.

3. Water!
Roses require plenty of water.  It is difficult to over-water roses that suffer through typical droughty St. Louis summers.  How much is enough?  Don’t let the soil dry out completely at the base of the plant.  In cooler weather, water a couple of times per week.  In the heat of the summer, every day is not too much.  But beware if your roses don’t have adequate drainage – they don’t like “soggy feet,” and will suffer if the soil has too much clay or poor drainage. It is much better to give the plant a deep soaking, 4-5 gallons, twice a week than to lightly water every day. If you’re watering from above, do it early in the day to allow moisture on the leaves enough time to evaporate. This helps prevent powdery mildew and black spot.

4.  Feed your roses
Roses need regular feeding all season.  Start fertilizing when new spring growth reaches an inch or more, usually around the first of May.  Feed large roses 1 cup of 10-10-10 monthly through August, then stop. Triple 10 is a balanced fertilizer that provides the essential elements of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium that roses need for robust health.  We also recommend Bayer’s All-in-One Rose & Flower Care, which is three systemic products in one – fertilizer, insect control, and disease control. Apply every six weeks, ending in August.
 
5.  Control insects and diseases
Prevention is your best treatment! Make sure there is adequate air circulation around your roses. At the first sign of black spot, remove infected leaves immediately and pick up any damaged leaves from the ground so they don’t re-infect the plant. Bayer’s All-in-One can help prevent fungal diseases, or institute a weekly spray regimen using a product such as Fertilome’s liquid systemic fungicide or Espoma’s Earth-tone 3n1 Disease Control.

Insects can be controlled with products such as Garden Safe’s Rose & Flower Insect Spray. Attack Japanese beetles in the larva stage in the soil with milky spore, such as St. Gabriel Laboratories Milky Spore Grub Control. This takes time but has long-lasting positive results. You can also treat your lawn with Bayer’s Lawn Grub Control, a spray concentrate. (See our Japanese Beetle handout for more information about this leaf-eating pest.)

6. Prune
Pruning is important because it encourages new growth, removes dead wood and opens up the “skeleton” of the rose bush to improve air circulation. Make your cuts at a 45-degree angle, about 1/4 inch

above a bud that is facing toward the outside of the plant. Remove all broken, dead, dying or diseased wood. Remove any weak or twiggy branches thinner than a pencil. Pruning can be done in the fall, before roses are mulched for winter protection, or in the spring. Following are some additional pruning guidelines:

ÞModern Shrub Roses: These are repeat bloomers, blooming on mature, but not old, woody stems. Leave them unpruned to increase vigor for the first 2 years. Then remove 1/3 of the oldest canes and any dead, diseased or dying canes.

ÞModern Ever-Blooming Roses & Floribunda: These bloom best on the current season's growth. Prune conservatively (1/3) in the spring. Leave 3-5 healthy canes evenly spaced around the plant.

ÞHybrid Teas & Grandiflora: These bloom on new wood and should be pruned in early spring.

ÞClimbing Roses: Prune in spring to remove winter damage and dead wood. After flowering, prune lateral branches to 6 inches. On older plants, remove thick woody stems yearly.

7. Winter care
In November or December, roses are ready to be covered for winter protection. Use shredded hardwood or leaf mold about a foot up the base of the rose to help protect the bud union from the freezing and thawing cycle that occurs throughout St. Louis winters. The mulch can be held in place by chicken wire or a thick section of newspaper stapled together to form a circular “coat” around the base of the rose.