Rose bushes placed in the backyard add charm and beauty to any home but a rose garden makes a statement and with proper set up is easy to maintain. Your Rose garden may become a place for relaxation, reading or entertaining.
And early spring is the time to start planning a rose garden.
First I would do a little research on different kinds of roses and what varieties would grow best in your climate. Hybrid tea roses are one of gardener’s favorite varieties at this time. Make a selection based on your growing zone, rose variety, color and other gardens or accessories already in the backyard.
Next find a good location that will receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight a day. You will also want an area where there is good air movement to prevent wet foliage. Wet foliage can lead to disease and insect problems.
Dormant roses should be planted in the early spring sometime between April 1 and May 15.
I just picked up seven roses for my garden area. These will be mixed in with perennials for color throughout the entire spring summer and fall. Unfortunately there is some growth on the bushes and I need to wait 2 weeks before planting so I have a pre-planting plan in place to keep the bushes, stress free and healthy.
When its time to plant your bushes you will want to dig the hole about 2 feet deep and about 20 inches across depending on how large your tea rose is. Digging the proper hole for your rose is one of the most important steps in a rose garden. Its set the entire stage for its health, adjustment to its new home and how it will receive the nutrients.
When setting up your garden area remember that Hybrid tea roses prefer well-drained, fertile loamy soil. Soil at the bottom of the hole has to be able to sustain excellent growth to ensure that the soil is fertile all the way to the bottom of the planting hole. In most area this means you will be adding compost and peat to the soil available in your yard.
When you are ready to plant the rose bush set the plant upright with the bud union at the right depth. (Your planting instructions that came with the bush should supply this information.) If you live in cooler climates, you should plant the bud union about six inches deep in the soil to protect it from the harsher winters. In warm climates, the bud union can be planted at about the soil level. My advice is to go to a local expert or nursery at get their opinion.
You will want to spread the rose roots out over a pyramid or cone of soil at the bottom of the hole if the plant is bare root. And make sure this cone of soil has additives added for the roses nutritional needs. That would be compost and peat.
If the plant is in a container you can plant the rose with the soil ball intact. Remember to gently loosen root a little. If you don’t the roots may grow in a root bound fashion and slow the plants growth or possible kill the plant.
photo credit: ewen and donabel
The soil being back-filled or replaced back around the bush is a critical part to getting your rose off to a good start. A rule of thumb is “for every three shovels of the original soil, add once shovel of compost and one shovel of peat moss.”
Back fill the rose so that the cones are covered and the bud union is exactly where your nursery tells you it should be for your particular climate. Water the plant well. I use a watering can so that the soil is not pushed aside and so that it settles around the roots. I will water the bush several times in small amounts to make sure the soil has settled.
Tamp the soil in place.
This is part one of “The Backyard Oasis Rose Garden Project.” To find out more about how to select and grow hybrid tea roses check out the Backyard Oasis.
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