Roses

Symbolic Meaning of Roses

Red…………………….  true love, respect, courage, passion
White………………….   reverence, humility, charm, innocence, purity
Pink……………………  grace, admiration, sympathy, gratitude
Yellow…………………   joy, gladness, friendship, achievement
Orange………………..   enthusiasm, desire
Burgundy……………..   subtle beauty
Red & White………….  unity
Red & Yellow…………  joviality, happiness

The rose is steeped in legend and mythology and forever linked with our traditions, music, literature and history. Often considered ‘The Queen of all Flowers’, it has no equal in the joy and satisfaction it brings to gardeners and has come to symbolize beauty, love, peace and friendship.  Available in a wide range of forms, colours, and fragrances and with the ability to bloom continuously all season, the place of the rose is guaranteed in every garden, great or small.

Our selection includes a long list of award winners, several new introductions each year and many traditional favourites.
 

TYPES OF ROSES

HYBRID TEA ROSES are generally tall and stately with large, often fragrant, well-formed blossoms borne singly on long stems.  Excellent as a single specimen or in mixed plantings. These are traditional favourites for cutting and floral arrangements. (90-150 cm tall)

FLORIBUNDA ROSES now form the second largest class of roses and are often lower growing and hardier than hybrid teas.  They bloom heavily in clusters and are well suited to mass plantings, hedges and borders. (50-100 cm tall).

GRANDIFLORA ROSES resemble both hybrid teas and floribundas.  They are tall and vigorous with clusters of large well formed blooms. (100-150 cm tall)

CLIMBING ROSES are sports or mutations of bush roses.  They are tall, vigorous, easy to grow and will
bloom heavily for years.  The main shoots should be trained as horizontally as possible as this causes
lateral branches to appear. It is these laterals, which grow upward to provide height and cover and where
flowers will be produced.  Ideal for a splash of colour on fences, walls, arbours or trellis. (2-5 m tall)

SHRUB ROSES are hardy, vigorous and require little maintenance.  They bloom freely and can be used in almost any landscape situation, including hedges.   Some are low and spreading in habit and ideal for colourful ground cover.  (50-175 cm tall).

SPECIES ROSES are the hardy, naturally occurring roses found in the wild.  Most have only five petals, bloom in summer and produce attractive rose hips in autumn. (90-125 cm tall)

TREE ROSES are bush roses, which have been grafted onto a stem to create a small tree.  Distinctive and elegant in pots, planters or beds, these gorgeous specimens will highlight almost any landscape situation. Most require special care to over-winter in Ontario.  (100-200 cm tall)
                
MINIATURE ROSES have recently come to the forefront of interest and new varieties are constantly being created.  They are generally hardy, low and compact and are very adaptable.  Ideal for rock gardens, borders, containers and even in pots indoors during the winter. (10-40 cm tall)

HOW TO PLANT ROSES IN ONTARIO

Select a site in full sun (at least 6 hours) with rich, well-drained soil.  In general, the more sun, the better. Prepare the soil well to a depth of at least 50 cm.  Sandy clay loam is best with large quantities of humus such as composted manure, mixed with the soil.  Add bone meal (4 kg for every 10m2 of bed and a cupful for each plant).

Plant the rose so that the bud union (the swollen portion at the bottom of the canes) is about 5 cm below the soil.  If the plant is in a plastic pot, gently remove it form the container before planting.  If the plant is in a fibre pot, break off the rim down to the soil level and make 3 or 4 slits in the side of the pot.  DO NOT REMOVE THE POT. After planting, water well and use Humber Plant Starter fertilizer once a week for the next six weeks.

CARE OF ROSES

FERTILIZE with rose food (according to the manufacturer’s instructions) to produce a sturdy plant with robust foliage and beautiful blooms.  Do not fertilize after September 1.  A fall application of Muriate of Potash 0-0-60 will increase plant hardiness.
WATER roses deeply and thoroughly.  The best way to water is the deep method – the bed is soaked slowly to a depth of 15 cm with a small flow of water.  Try to avoid wetting the foliage, particularly in hot weather.
SPRAY OR DUST roses with a combination insecticide-fungicide once a week, or as required.  For specific problems, consult our Troubleshooting Guide at the end of this discussion.
DEADHEADING.  After the first cycle of blooms, you can encourage more blossoms if you cut back to the first bud eye below the topmost five-leaflet leaf.
WINTER SPRAY (a combination of Dormant Oil and Lime Sulphur) should be applied in
late winter, usually March, to the rose canes.  This will kill over wintering forms of insects
and fungus spores of diseases.  Apply in the morning of a mild day.
MULCH is very important as it helps to maintain moisture in the soil in drier periods and makes continual flowering possible.  It also provides plant food, reduces susceptibility to black spot and has a smothering effect on weeks.  Rotted compost, peat moss, cocoa shells or bark products are excellent.
SUCKERS: Any shoot that grows from below the bud union is called a sucker and should be removed.  Suckers are not difficult to detect, as their leaves are usually very different from the rest of the plant.  A knife is a good tool for removing the sucker – try to cut away a little of the bark together with the sucker, otherwise the sucker will quickly re-emerge from the same point.  ‘Bleeding’ or tearing away the sucker where it emerges is an alternative.

PRUNING ROSES

• Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras & Floribundas, in second and subsequent years, should be cut to about half their length in spring.  Cut away weak, twiggy growth and dead or diseased branches.  As the main growth ages, some of it should be cut back harder to encourage strong new stems from the base.  Early pruning encourages early flowers so long as the young shoots are not damaged by late frosts.
• Climbing Roses should be pruned in late winter or early spring.  A climber consists of the main long stems which do the climbing and short side stems from these which produce the flowers.  Each year, remove some of the main stems which have become weak and unproductive.  Cut back the smaller side shoots to about 10 cm.  Since a climber bears flowers on lateral growth, it is a good idea to train upright stems as horizontally as possible, for example, along a fence.  Remember that climbing roses may bloom on new and/or old wood.

• Shrub Roses are easy to prune.  Simply allow them to develop naturally at first – they require very little pruning in the first 2 to 4 seasons.  After this, remove some of the older growth to encourage new branches.  Trim the shrub generally to keep it attractive and shapely and prevent it from invading other plants nearby.
• Species Roses are wild or natural roses that require little pruning other than the removal of old and unproductive wood.  Do not allow the plant to become too full of dense and dying growth.
• Miniature Roses, like the larger roses, will lose the energy they need to flower if they are not pruned carefully.  Remove dead wood and weak or spindly canes to keep plants healthy and vigorous.
• Tree Roses, Prune back the crown by about half to encourage new growth.  Cut each cane to the same length to ensure a symmetrical rounded crown.

SPRING PRUNING

WINTER CARE

Do not apply rose food after September 1.  A fall application of Muriate of Potash 0-0-60 will increase plant hardiness.

Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Grandifloras and Miniatures.  When the ground is frozen, ‘hill-up’ the rose canes with unfrozen soil or composted manure to a height of about 45 cm.  Rose collars are a ‘must’, otherwise too much soil is required to protect the plants.  Do not prune the canes unless they are so tall that they would whip about in winter winds.

Climbers. In severe winter conditions, we suggest staking the canes to the ground and covering them with a protective layer of mulch.  Where this is not practical, tie the canes and wrap them in burlap to protect them from drying winter winds.  ‘Hill-up’ the base of the climber as above.

Hardy Shrub and English Roses do not normally require extra winter protection and can be treated as any other flowering shrub.  However, ‘hilling-up’ these roses will afford extra protection against weather extremes.

Tree Roses.  In late fall, loosen the roots on one side so that the head can be pegged down to the ground.  Deeply cover the top of the plant with soil.  Your alternative is to pot it up and bring indoors to a location (such as a garage ) which is cool enough to encourage dormancy. In spring, stand the tree erect, fasten to a sturdy stake and replace soil over the roots.

Invest in their care and your roses will prosper and reward you accordingly.  Give them water, fertilizer, proper spraying, pruning, cultivation and winter protection. Remember that your site and soil conditions will also affect plant performance.  The chart below offers you some pointers on potential rose problems.

DESCRIPTION

SOLUTION

PROBLEM

DESCRIPTION

SOLUTION

Leaves turn yellow and may fall off. Could be caused by poor drainage.

Bad weather can slow chlorophyll production, so wait it out.  Add sand to improve drainage

Buds turn brown and do not open, or are distorted. Thrips are feeding on the plant juices.

Control with a dust or spray.  Direct spray onto opening buds.

Usually not a serious problem, caused by a lack of iron, nitrogen, manganese or magnesium, or a salt buildup.

Add chelated iron to the soil, or in severe cases, spray iron sulfate on foliage.  Apply a solution of epsom salts and water to the soil during the season.

Leaves turn yellow, dry out, and may fall off the plant.  Tiny webs are visible on the undersides of leaves

Use an insecticide or hose the undersides of leaves with a fine spray of water for 3 days in a row to disrupt breeding cycle.

Very small insects, usually green or black, mostly on buds, undersides of leaves and on new growth. 

Thoroughly hose aphids off foliage or use an insecticide

Leaves have black spots and will fall off if fungus is not treated.

Pick off isolated leaves, control with fungicide. Provide good air circulation and avoid wetting foliage during irrigation.

Circles or ovals neatly cut out of the leaves, wilted stems indicate tunnels inside.

Seal canes with white glue after pruning to prevent the insects from tunneling into the stems.

Leaves are distorted and covered with fine white fungus growth.

Follow a regular spray or dust program, which controls mildew and leafspot disease.

Hard-shelled insects which eat various parts of the rose plant

Pick the insects off individually or use an
insecticide.

Rose canes turn dark brown or black and die progressively down the stem

Always remove damaged part of the cane, then follow a regular spray or dust program.

Insects which enter the cane and feed on the pith inside.  Canes turn black and wilt.

Use an insecticide to control the fly that
lays eggs; seal canes after pruning to prevent further  entry.

Tumor-like swellings appear near the bud union.  Plants lose vigor and die.

Cut off galls with a sharp knife, disinfected with alcohol.  Paint pruned area with a mild bleach solution.  Burn diseased portions of the plant.