Growers Success Summit – Principles of Planting & Pruning

Boundless Possibility 

I am very careful who I order roses from. I read up on a company prior to ordering. Not only from their website, but also the message boards, Facebook & Twitter postings and word of mouth from my fellow rose growing friends. It matters to me that they company selling me roses actually cares about the roses they are packaging and sending to me. I had only heard good things about Witherspoon Rose Culture.

The key to shipping bare root roses is keeping them moist in shipment so the roots do not dry out. I could immediately tell that this rose was packed with great care. Notice the wrapping of the entire rose.

When I removed the outer covering to reveal 5 beautiful canes and a carefully wrapped root system.

I unwrapped the root covering to reveal a root system covered in moist moss. This kept the roots moist in transit and the outer coverings held the moisture in.

When I removed the moss, it revealed the root system of the rose. Notice that this is a “grafted” rose. The rose has been grafted onto rootstock and has formed the ball or “bud union” from which the canes have emerged from.

Notice the larger roots are what I call the “foundation” roots” and the tiny fibrous roots are the “feeder” roots. The smaller roots actually take in nutrients that the rose needs to survive, and the larger provide anchoring and support of the upper structure of the rose. The absence of either of these root systems spells death to a rose. Notice how large the root system is and will be below the soil? This is one healthy rose!

As I do with all roses planted in my garden, I soaked the root system overnight in Haven Brand Soil Conditioner. This provides further hydration for the rose before planting.

A rose of this caliber requires a container large enough to grow in. I have six of these 8 gallon containers for new roses this year.

Now planted, let the growing begin!

Each year I order new roses in the Fall for Spring shipment. Being in USDA haridness zone 7b/8a, late February is a great time to plant them. This past weekend, I constructed a new raised bed, and purchased six new over sized pots; three of which will be lined up in front of our garage :) I will be mixing my soil recipe this week and will fill the bed and pots ahead of time to allow for some settling of the soil to occur.

On Sunday I took this brief video of our dormant rose garden inside our fence. All but 20 or so of our roses are planted in this area. The video is not that great, but it does give a glimpse of what my garden actually looks like in winter. When in full bloom, I will post again from this vantage point and we will see how much a few roses can brighten up the space…..

The office of President of the United States is one that has been occupied by only a few. They, for their term of office are considered to be the leader of the free world. They face incredible scrutiny and also exultant praise.   Our Presidents and First Ladies have come from all walks of life and each have their own style and for some, a rose named in their honor. As our nation presses onward toward another election, and the debates drone on and on, I am once again dreaming of roses.

Way back in 2007, I blogged about the possibility of a presidential rose bed. A rose bed with only roses named for Presidents and First Ladies. Several things have kept me from realizing this dream, but as I have learned with most things in life; Be patient. When the time is right, it will come to pass.

Last fall, I had the opportunity to purchase 2 Ronald Reagan hybrid teas. As I mentioned in a previous post, I love this rose, not only for its striking beauty, but it was President Reagan who signed the proclamation declaring the rose our “National Floral Emblem”. ARS rating: 7.7

This week, I purchased a “Lady Bird” hybrid tea named for the beloved First Lady, “Lady Bird” Johnson. Her establishment of the Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin secured her place in the hearts of gardeners everywhere. I can remember as a small boy, watching her on television waving a gloved hand “plant a tree, a shrub or a bush, beautify America!” It was no surprise to me when they announced a rose named in her honor. ARS rating: 7.2

Next in this Presidential rose bed, is the “Barbara Bush” hybrid tea. A beautiful soft coral pink rose; it is said to be a source of inspiration in the garden. ARS rating: 7.4

Mr. Lincoln will round out my collection. He has been a favorite in our garden for several years often reaching over 8 ft tall in the summer. This rose certainly lives up to its namesake. ARS rating: 8.3

As I plant these roses, I am thankful for the incredible blanket of protection we all sleep under each night as Americans and I rejoice in the knowledge that we continue to inspire the world with a government elected “by the people and for the people” and to be a place where even the smallest of dreams can come true…….

Albert Einstein once said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”  With that in mind, what new roses are you planning for this year?

I have at least 15 new roses coming this Spring. That will put me over the top on my “road to 100″ quest. Not sure where I will go from there. I am slap out of room!  Well, maybe I could line up some nice pots in front of the garage, who uses that garage anyway???

Now in Alabama (zone 7b), you can plant roses in late February. In fact, most of my mail order roses arrive the last week of February or the first week of March.

On today’s trip I found several roses that I have found to be real winners. I don’t grow all these myself, but know people who do and in this climate they come highly recommended.

“Fourth of July” – Climbing Rose

This beautiful rose is a tall climber. Several friends grow this rose and it is a smashing hit in the garden. Full of color and huge blooms, you will love this climber…

Julia Child – Floribunda

If you have read this blog for any length of time you will know that I not only grow this rose, but I love this rose! It is highly disease resistant and a prolific bloomer.  MUST HAVE!

Moonstone – Hybrid Tea

If you love cut long-stemmed roses, you’ll love Moonstone. Classic rose form. Slight fragrance. It is also a good show rose. Beautiful Color.

Cherry Parfait – Grandiflora

I love this rose. Planted enmasse, it really makes a statement. WOW! The color varies with the seasons from dark red and a little white, to white with a little red. If you don’t have a grandiflora, give this one a try….

Barbara Streisand – Hybrid Tea

I like this rose not only for its form and color, but also for its namesake and how this rose came to be named for Ms. Streisand. It is said that when approached about having a rose named after her, they suggested that she come to the growing fields and select a rose from the trial rose grounds. She selected a rose, but before she would allow her name to be placed on it, she had specimens of this rose planted in her own garden and tended them for several seasons before she would allow them to use her name on it. Pretty admirable.

So, why not give one of these a try this year? Or, if you’re me, you’ll want to try them all!

With a multitude of catalogs filling up mail boxes everywhere, I am tempted to go crazy ordering roses.

I must remind myself of a few basic things to consider before ordering:

• Ask yourself what you’re looking for in a rose. Large blooms on single stems? Lots of color and a multitude of blooms? Easy care? No Spray? Doing your homework before you buy will save you some aggravation and disappointment.
• Do I have a sunny well draining spot to plant your rose? Six hours of full sun is good for most roses. 
• I love the catalogs and mail order rose providers, but I often find there descriptions of colors, size and vigor are often incorrect. If you like a rose, ask a rosarian about the rose. (find a local rosarian http://www.ars.org) Google the name of the rose and search for gardener reviews from real people who are growing the rose. I wouldn’t be without my American Rose Society Guide For Selecting Roses. This guide is published annually based on ratings as reported from those who are growing that particular variety. I steer clear of roses that rank below 7.5.
• Don’t walk, RUN from “bagged” roses. They are sprayed with paraffin wax and almost always are poor performers.
• Always select roses bare root or potted with at LEAST 3 good canes and a well-developed root system. Anything less will typically yield less than desirable results.

Experience has taught me that just a little advance planning will go a long way in selecting just the right rose for your garden.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 8,000 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people. Considering I moved my blog to WordPress in May of 2011, I already have over 10,000 hits at blogspot this brings my total to over 18,000

Click here to see the complete report.

You Live & Learn
(A few things I learned from the 2011 rose growing season)

   1. Location. Location. Location.  What may be bright sun in the spring
      could be cool shade once the trees leaf out! Be sure to plant roses
      in a location that receives at least 5 hours of sunlight per day.
      Anything less will hurt your feelings.  Trust me.

   2. Hydration. Hydration. Hydration.  Roses love water; they just don’t
      like to swim in it! At least one inch of water per week administered
      at the base of the plant will keep them blooming. Good drainage is
      the key. Roses hate wet feet!

   3. Chemical fertilizers are not the only way to grow. I began to use
      mainly organic fertilizers this year. Composted cow manure has worked
      wonders in our garden. We use Haven Brand Soil Conditioner. I started
      on my miniature roses and had such success; I now use it all
      throughout my garden.  Not to say that I will never indulge in a
      chemical based fertilizer again, but suffice it to say that the
      organics are fast winning me over.

   4. Don’t be afraid to let your roses GROW! -  In my garden, most (not
      all) roses needs about 3 years to really take off.  You want to
      establish a good root system. It is from this system that many years
      of blooms will be produced. Many people have the notion that you have
      to prune and primp and shape repeat blooming roses after every flush
      of bloom. Not true. Deadhead the blooms if you like, but don’t prune
      after each flush – let it grow! You’ll end up with more blooms and a
      stronger plant.

   5. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. At least that’s what my mama taught
      me. She told me that during the dark ages people discovered if they
      kept clean, they could avoid all manner of diseases. I have found it
      to be true in the garden as well. I have far less disease in the
      garden by removing diseased leaves and debris from my garden beds and
      applying a good covering of mulch, as this will keep down weeds and
      allow for the aforementioned hydration to work best at the roots.

   6. Variety truly is the Spice of life! – I made a concerted effort this
      year to plant different varieties in my garden. It is interesting to
      me to see how the hybrid tea blooms vs. a floribunda and how the
      English rose blooms vs. their old garden ancestors. By planting
      different varieties, I now have color, fragrance, interest and blooms from
      late March to November. To those who visit my garden, I have found
      that having different varieties opens up opportunities to educate
      them on rose care and nudge them toward a rose purchase themselves.
      I am a firm believer that everyone should have at least one rose
      growing on their property.