Rose Planting, Pruning & Care

Planting Roses

1. Dig hole 2 times larger than diameter of pot and just as deep.

2. Prepare planting mixture: I/3 topsoil and 2/3 Stauffers Premium Planting Mix.

3. Fill extra depth of hole with above mixture and tamp firmly to eliminate settling after the rose is planted.

4. For paper mache potted roses, cut 3 large holes in side of pot approximately 5” diameter. Leave lip on pot to serve as basin. Do Not Remove Pot.

5. If rose is in plastic pot, remove it. If circling roots are exposed, cut to 1” depth down 3 sides of root ball.

6. Place rose into hole with top of root ball at ground level.

7. Finish filling hole with more of the planting mixture. Tamp firmly, make a basin around the edge of the hole to retain water.

8. Fill the basin with 2” of cocoa shell mulch.

9. Fill basin with water 4 times, soaking rose thoroughly.

10. Apply liquid plant starter solution to base of rose at planting time, then each month through September as recommended.

Care of Roses

1. Roses require 1” of water per week, so water once a week thoroughly or as needed. Caution: Be careful of overwatering when planting in heavy clay soil & do not wet leaves when watering.

2. Place 2” of cocoa shell mulch around roses for weed and moisture control.

3. Feed established plants monthly with a good balanced rose fertilizer. For proper hardening of canes for winter, do not fertilize after Sept. 1st. Stop cutting flowers after Sept. 15 to allow the plant to “harden off”.

4. For winter, mound 12” of soil, mulch or peat over crown of rose.

Pruning Roses

1. Cut roses for flowers during growing season. It encourages more blossoms. Cut just above first 5 or 7 leaflet.

2. Cut roses back hard in the winter. It doesn’t hurt them, it helps them. Even climbers and shrub roses eventually decline and are rejuvenated by a hard cut.

3. Timing is appropriate for pre-spring pruning in Dec., Jan., Feb., or March. All dead wood should be removed.

4. Once pruning is done, rake the debris and discard it.

5. When pruning hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas, prune back to 18” to 24”. Choose 4 or 5 strong, healthy canes to keep. Make sure they are away from the center of the rose and away from each other, making for maximum air and sun and minimal overcrowding. Prune all other canes and side branches as far back as possible.

6. Prune shrub roses after flowering, in late fall. Cut out any diseased or dead wood, thin out any branches that are crossing or scraping another branch, and prune back to overall size of 18”-24”. This does not have to be done every year; however, if left go, shrub roses should be rejuvenated every few years by being pruned to 12”.

7. When pruning climbing roses, do minimal pruning for 4 years, then a hard pruning the 5th year. For minimal pruning, just cut out dead wood and do a little thinning so branches don’t crown and cover one another. For hard pruning, seriously remove the oldest looking main stems and do severe thinning.