CHOOSING ROSES

by Eve Keener, UCCE Master Gardener, El Dorado County

January 2003

If you are thinking about adding roses to your garden this year, now is the time. Bareroot season is the cheapest time to buy roses and the selection is the best at your local nurseries or by mail order. Except in the coldest areas of the county, roses can be planted as soon as you purchase them. If your soil is not workable, plant the bareroot rose in a large pot and transfer it to the yard in spring.

Roses are a wonderful addition to the flower garden. There are many forms for different purposes, from shrubs, hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas for use in borders to climbers and ramblers for fences and trellises, and groundcover roses for banks and slopes. David Austin "English" roses bred with the "old" flower forms, perfumes and disease resistance with the added benefit of multiple bloom season, are a newer alternative. True "old" roses are also making a comeback and many more are available, the best selection usually from mail order specialists.

Roses have the reputation of being difficult to grow but with careful selection of variety and site, they are no more difficult than any other shrub. Read the label to see if the variety is mildew resistant, one of the most common problems in spring and early summer. Give them at least six hours of sun, well-drained, humusy soil and adequate water and air circulation. Roses don’t like wind and prefer morning sun in our hot climate.Traditionally roses are grown in "rose gardens", that is, all the roses are placed together. However, if the bushes are scattered among other plants in the landscape, disease and insect problems are reduced. Roses can tolerate mildew, blackspot, aphids and other common problems in moderate amounts, so constant spraying with chemicals is unnecessary and organic alternatives are available if required.

For more information on this subject or any garden problem, contact the El Dorado County Master Gardeners, 621-5512, Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to Noon.