Roses - General Information
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  (January) I have one plant from a fence full of red roses that grew around my great-grandmother's house in Fayetteville. I have it planted on the west side of my home (which is probably too harsh for it). I'm afraid to move it because if it dies, there are no more. Is there a way to propagate it so that it can be planted all along my fence? I tried cuttings in root stimulator and then in moist soil with a Ziploc bag over the pot, but they never rooted. I don't know what the variety is, but it blooms late in the spring and then again once or twice more during the summer. I have pruned it a bit hoping that it might sprout some additional stems from ground level, but it hasn't.

  Roses typically are fairly easy to root. If you have any of the long canes that are pliable enough to bring down to the soil level, you can layer the plant while it is attached to the mother plant. Simply, weave the plant in and out of the soil. The part that will be underground, should lightly be scraped on the underside, and then weighted down with a rock or brick to keep it from popping back out of the soil. This way, the plant will root while it is being supplied nourishment from the mother plant. You can also take cuttings, making sure there are no flower buds on the cuttings. Some people take them when pruning--which on a climber is best done after the first flush of flowers. You can put the cuttings in the ground outside and put a glass jar over them, or do it indoors in a pot, sealed with a plastic bag. I like covering the cuttings to keep the moisture level and the humidity high during rooting. The individual cuttings should be no larger than three to four inches in length-no flower buds, or spent blooms.

  (April) I have a lady banks rose draped across my brick mailbox. It is about four years old and has bloomed beautifully in the past. I have had to trim it each year - rather severely. It is beginning to bloom now, but some of the leaves have black spots and it does not look as full as it did in the years past. Want to know if it is alright to fertilize now and what should I use. If not, when should it be fertilized? I live in Monticello.

  Lady banks rose is one of those wonderful old-fashioned roses that seem to only get better with age. I have never heard of it being plagued with disease--in particular blackspot. Maybe you should move it to a location where you don't have to prune as severely, and let it prosper. In Monticello, you could have an amazing bush if you didn't prune. This thornless rose only blooms in the spring, but the larger it grows, the more impressive its bloom season. Fertilize after bloom.

  (August) I have a nice rose bush, about 3 years old, in a large pot on my deck. It gets both direct sun and complete shade each day, and each Feb. 14 I cut it back, as suggested. New shoots appear in due course, and there are usually about 3 to 4 blooms early on. However, last year it produced no other blooms, and this year only 3 more during the course of the summer so far. I do fertilize it with Miracle Growth often, and water it well each day. How can I help it create more blooms? They really are lovely when they are there.

  When you say it gets both full sun and complete shade, the real question is how much full sun. Most roses need a minimum of six hours of sunlight for flowering. If it blooms early, it could be that before your trees fully leaf out it is getting more light. Regular fertilization and watering will help, but sunlight is critical for flowering. One other possibility, especially if your plant is in enough sunlight. If it is an antique rose variety, some of those only bloom in the spring, and severe pruning in February could be removing the potential full display. Those varieties should be pruned after flowering. While you can occasionally get a few staggered later blossoms, they do their show in the spring.

  (November) I have a question about planting roses - we live in Malvern, and want to plant roses on the west side of our house. This will be foundation plantings, and it does get very hot in the summer. Is this a good idea or not?

  Roses have no problem with hot, provided they get ample moisture. Prepare the site well with organic matter added in, and then plant. Make sure you don't plant them too close to the foundation so that you allow plenty of room to grow. Mulch and water as needed.

  (November) I have a problem with two of my roses. They were planted this spring in large pots. My husband tells me that they will freeze in the pots this winter. Should I plant them in the ground? I wasn't sure of where to plant them this spring. The roses did real well on the east side of the house. The roses are from the collection called "Golden Oldies" -- very fragrant roses. Is my husband correct?

  It all depends on the size of the container as to how winter hardy the roses will be. Roses, along with other plants, can be winter hardy in containers. The smaller the container, the more susceptible to damage. The reasoning behind this is soil temperature. Raised planters will get colder than soil in the ground, and small containers may not protect the roots from freezing. Wrapping the pots in particularly cold periods can help. You can also sink the pots in the ground for extra root protection, and then bring them back out after winter.

  (December) I have some roses that I put out this year. What do I need to do to protect them this winter? I live out from Mt. Ida. Do I need to fertilize them?

  By now, all of our roses should have experienced a killing frost and be dormant for the winter. I have actually noticed an errant bloom here and there, but otherwise, they should be sufficiently shut down for the year. Most of our rose bushes should be winter hardy. A little additional mulch around the plant would be fine, but no fertilization at this point. Wait until spring when you see the plants beginning to grow again, before you fertilize. If your hybrid rose bushes (not climbers or antiques) are taller than 4 to 5 feet, you may want to head them back to about 4 feet to give them more stability, should we get any snow or ice. Save your major pruning chores until late February.

  In September of 1995, I received a dozen gorgeous roses for my birthday. The florist said the rose was Oceanana. It was pink with a yellowish tinge, like the inside of a conch shell. I want to buy a bush for planting in a rose garden, but none of the florists, know where I may obtain one. Can you help?

  Usually long-stemmed roses are not traditionally grown from regular rose bushes in a garden. I cannot find the variety you have mentioned, but others with similar colored flowers include: Alpine Sunset, Lincoln Cathedral, Lolita, or Solitaire.

  We have a rose bush at the South end of our home. Several years ago it would have the most beautiful blooms on it about the size of a saucer. I don't know what kind it is but for some reason it stopped blooming about 10 years ago and all it does now is grow up and out with no booms. We have cut it down thinking this would help but it didn't. Is there anything we can do to make it bloom or should we dig it up and put something else there? 

  Several questions. First, does the rose bush get a minimum of six hours of sunlight a day? If not, that could be the reason for the lack of blooms. Do you prune the bush every year? If you do the pruning in February, when most hybrid tea roses are pruned, that could be another problem. Many old fashioned roses only bloom in the spring, and you could be cutting off their blooms each season. Climbers and many heritage roses should be pruned only after bloom. I know of no other reason for lack of blooms if the plant is healthy, which it sounds like it is. If it bloomed before, it should have the potential to bloom again if it gets the proper conditions.

  I have an older rose bush and it has produced an unusual branch that grows straight up from almost ground level. It has produced a few small flowers which look nothing like the original plant. Where did this branch come from, and do I want it? The rest of the bush has the old blooms and is not nearly as vigorous in growth.

  The errant sprout is growing from the root stock, beneath the graft union. Simply cut out the limb as clean as possible, and direct all of the energy into the rest of the plant. Watch for signs of this branch resprouting, and keep them pruned out.

  I am wanting to redo my rose beds this spring. I have approximately eight roses in a bed that is 4 by 12. How would I go about digging up the existing roses, and protect them before replanting? What should I use to make the soil richer–any fertilizer, etc.? Is it good to put mulch such as pine bark or pine needles around the roses? In addition to roses, there is also some phlox and ground cover in this bed. (Little Rock)

  While the plants are dormant, lift them out of the bed and either heal them into a mulch pile, all mounded together, or containerize them. The mulching process is much easier, and allows you to keep all of the roots intact. The mulch protects the root system from cold temperatures and drying winds. You don’t want to leave the plants there for long. Amend your soil with organic matter in the form of compost, or similar material. The quicker you amend and replant, the better for all plants involved. Mulching is indeed beneficial for roses as well as all ornamentals. Fertilize after you replant and as the roses begin growing.

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