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Hi. I& #39;m mad at everything today, but that& #39;s not helpful, so here are some rose-growing resources and tips instead. /1
First. Think about where you want to plant your roses. Roses like lots of sunshine, at least 6 hours a day, so don& #39;t stick the poor things on the north side of your house or in a shady corner. They might be okay, but they won& #39;t thrive like they would in sun. /2
Then think about the kind of roses you want to grow. Climbers need lots of space and can get huge (I didn& #39;t realize one of my first roses was a climber, and it is a BEAST now, but I love it). Some of them grow up to 12 feet tall and need support—trellises or ties. /3
I buy all my roses from three places: directly from @DAustinRoses, http://heirloomroses.com"> http://heirloomroses.com , and a local nursery called Otto and Sons (well worth the trek for their large selection of very healthy DA roses and other gorgeous varieties). /4
Roses usually come in three forms: bare root, a small 2-qt tub, and a larger tub that ranges in size up to about 5 gallons. I& #39;ve planted all three varieties. If you get a bare-root rose, *make sure to soak it in water before planting*. I put mine in a bucket for a few days. /5
Also! Pay attention to the USDA zone and the soil where you& #39;re located. I& #39;m in zone 10a, which is super mild, neither very not nor very cold, with lots of sun and very rich soil. Roses love it here. Depending on your zone, you& #39;ll want to feed and prune at different times. /6
Let& #39;s talk about food. My first year, I fed them Miracle Gro pretty regularly, but now I feed them fish fertilizer. It stinks to high heaven, but the plants seem to really like it. Here& #39;s the kind I give them: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Alaska-32-oz-5-1-1-Liquid-Fish-Fertilizer-100099247/100131259">https://www.homedepot.com/p/Alaska-... /7
I use neem oil for pest control. We get a lot of aphids and caterpillars, and it seems to help. June is typically a foggy, damp month here, so that& #39;s when I tend to get black spot and powdery mildew, and I& #39;ve got an antifungal spray (Liqui Cop) for that. /8
Pruning: don& #39;t get too aggressive the first year. Let the roots come in and get the plant well-established, first. Then, just make sure to give the plant lots of space internally so there& #39;s air flow. Trim off any damaged branches and any that rub against each other. /9
Most of these guys are hardy and hearty, so if you trim too aggressively, don& #39;t worry. They& #39;ll grow back. It just might take a little longer.
I promise, despite this thread, roses are pretty easy. I water mine 1x/week and spray as needed, but usually 1x-2x per season. /10
I promise, despite this thread, roses are pretty easy. I water mine 1x/week and spray as needed, but usually 1x-2x per season. /10
