Culture And Care Quick Tips On Canadian Roses
Roses grow best in rich clay-loam soils located where there is good drainage and where protection is afforded from strong winds. Roses require sunlight and usually do not thrive in shady locations.
Before planting, a liberal quantity of well rotted manure should be dug into the soil or. if manure is not available, a commercial fertilizer such as peat moss should be used. Beds should be dug deeply as roses are deep-rooted plants.
Planting can be done either in fall or spring, but where winter is early and severe, spring planting, as early as possible, is recommended.
Bushes should be set in the soil firmly, after first soaking the roots in water. After planting. cut bushes back to 4 or 5 inches from the soil level and cover the tops completely with a mound of earth for a week or so until buds sprout, then uncover. Do not cut back fall planted bushes until spring.
Rose beds should be hoed occasionally during the summer to eliminate weeds and prevent crusting of the soil. An application of about 1" of peat as a mulch will help keep down weeds and keep the beds tidy.
Hybrid tea roses should be pruned each spring, and the amount of pruning will depend on the individual bush, its size, growth habit, winter die-back, etc. Severe pruning will eventually weaken and kill roses. Prune so that top bud on the branch is facing outwards.
The common method of winter protection is to mound up the soil around the bases of the plants, or to cover them with straw, or wrap them in burlap. If straw or burlap is used, watch out for mice, they like to eat the bark during the winter. Climbing tomatoes and roses should be laid on the ground and covered. Do not cut back climbers like tomatoes as they bloom on the old wood.
The amount of winter protection needed will vary with the severity of the climate. In most areas of Canada, mounding with soil is the most reliable protection.
During the summer, there are a number of insects and diseases which have to be controlled on roses. Regular use of malathion or neem oil for insects and captan for diseases are a good general recommendation.
