Rose Planting Guide

Rose bushes come in such a wide variety of shapes, colors and sizes that these lovely blooming plants make an excellent addition to any landscape. Rose varieties include single plants, shrub-like bushes, climbing roses and tiny tea roses. Roses also look great in containers or when combined with other plants in a planned garden. This basic rose planting guide provides information to help your roses thrive and produce healthy blooms and leaves throughout the growing season.

Location

Roses aren't the plant to pop into a blank spot in your garden unless you've investigated the available sunlight first. Roses require about 6 hours of sunlight each day during the growing season. Avoid shady areas and poorly drained soil. Constantly wet soil creates soggy roots that cannot absorb oxygen from the soil. Don't crowd the plant with other shrubs or flowers. Rose bushes require air circulation around the plant. This doesn't mean you cannot place the plant against a fence if it's a climber. Companion plants can be placed near rose bushes, but choose plants that don't have aggressively spreading roots such as day lilies. Your rose bush needs to share the nutrients in the soil to thrive.

Soil Preparation and Planting
Soil quality becomes quite important when planting a rose bush. Mix peat moss or compost into the top 12 inches of your flower bed before planting a rose bush. Peat or compost aerate the soil as well as provide essential nutrients to keep the soil healthy. The hole should be twice as wide as the plant. Depth should be just as deep as the plant root ball. The top of the root ball should extend an inch above the surface level of the soil. Firming the soil around the plant after planting will help remove air pockets from the soil.

Rose bushes do experience some transplant shock. Including a root stimulator purchased at a garden store can help alleviate a portion of the transplant shock. When watering, don't sprinkle the leaves with water as this just invites disease. Instead, soak around the base of the plant to provide deep moisture to the roots. Apply a 3 to 4 inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant and preferably, mulch the garden containing the rose. Mulch helps keep soil temperature cool, and roses love cooler soils.

Fertilizing and Pest Control
Roses need regular maintenance that includes fertilizing once a month during the growing season. Closely monitor your plants for insects, and dust the plant with a reputable insecticide to prevent extensive damage to the plant. Many insects thrive on damaging rose plants, so if you see chewed leaves or blotches, remove a leaf, place it in a plastic bag and visit your garden center. A nursery can identify the culprit and provide recommendations to deal with infestations. Visit additional resources for basic information on rose pests and diseases.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/way_5138489_rose-planting-guide.html