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Growing Roses
How to Plant, Grow, and Prune Roses
How to Plant, Grow, and Prune Roses
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Ready to plant and grow roses in your garden? Our Growing Guide for Roses will get you started—with advice on how to take care of roses and prune roses, too. We also share our recommendations on the best types of roses to grow, as well as tips on controlling rose pests such as Japanese beetles.
Rose bushes come in a variety of forms, from climbing roses to miniature rose plants, blooming mainly in early summer and fall. One way to group roses into classes is according to their date of introduction:
- Old roses—also called “old-fashioned roses” and “heirloom roses”—are those introduced prior to 1867. These are the lush, invariably fragrant roses found in old masters’ paintings. There are hundreds of old rose varieties—whose hardiness varies—providing choices for both warm and mild climates.
- Modern hybrid roses, introduced after 1867, are sturdy, long-blooming, extremely hardy and disease-resistant, and bred for color, shape, size, and fragrance. The hybrid tea roses, with one large flower on a long cutting stem, are one of the most popular hybrids.
- Species, or wild roses, are those that have been growing wild for many thousands of years. These wild roses have been adapted to modern gardens and usually bloom from spring to early summer. Most species roses have single blossoms.
Choosing from all the possibilities can be a daunting task. Take your time and wander through nurseries to enjoy the beauty of roses!
Planting
If you order bare-root roses from a mail-order company, order early (late winter or early spring). The roses are usually shipped in the spring because bare roots when plants are fully dormant, well before they have leafed out. They’ll look like a bundle of sticks on arrival. Note that they are not dead—simply dormant. Check that the packing material is moist and keep them in a cool dark place until ready to plant.
If you are buying container-grown roses (vs. bare-root roses), it’s best to plant them by late spring or early summer for best results. However, you can plant them most any time.
Selecting and Preparing a Planting Site
- Plant roses where they will receive a minimum of 5 to 6 hours of full sun per day. Morning sun is especially important because it dries the leaves, which helps prevent diseases. Roses grown in partial sun may not die at once, but they weaken gradually, producing subpar blooms and overwintering poorly.
- Remember that light changes as the angle of the sun shifts throughout the season. If you live in the upper half of the U.S., choose a site that will offer full sun year-round. The more sun you have, the more flowers your plants will produce. In the lower half of the U.S., choose spots with a little bit of afternoon shade. This protects blossoms from the scorching sun and helps your flowers last longer.
- If you live in a colder climate, consider growing roses close to the foundation of your home. This provides plants with some degree of winter protection. Walkways are also good spots provided there is full sun.
- Roses need a soil that drains well but holds onto moisture long enough for the roots to absorb some. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to not provide adequate drainage. Roses do not like wet, cold feet.
- Roses like loose, loamy soil leaning more toward sandy. Too much clay and the roots can become waterlogged. If you are not starting out with a loose, loamy soil, you will need to do some amending.
- If you’re planning multiple roses, do not crowd. Provide good air circulation to avoid powdery and downy mildew.
- Roses prefer a near-neutral pH range of 5.5–7.0. A pH of 6.5 is just about right for most home gardens (slightly acidic to neutral).
- An accurate soil test will tell you where your pH currently stands. Acidic (sour) soil is counteracted by applying finely ground limestone, and alkaline (sweet) soil is treated with ground sulfur. Learn more about soil amendments.
Planting Roses
- Wear sturdy gloves to protect your hands from prickly thorns. Have a hose or bucket of water and all your planting tools nearby.
- Soak bare-root roses in a bucket of water for 8-12 hours before planting.
- Prune each cane back to 3-5 buds per cane. Any cane thinner than a pencil should be removed.
- If planting container grown roses, loosen the roots before planting.
- When you plant the rose, be sure to dig a much bigger hole than you think you need (for most types, the planting hole should be about 15 to 18 inches wide) and add plenty of organic matter such as compost or aged manure.
- Soak the newly planted rose with water.
- Mound up loose soil around the canes to protect the rose while it acclimates to its new site.
- Some old-timers recommend placing a 4-inch square of gypsum wallboard and a 16-penny nail in the hole to provide calcium and iron, both appreciated by roses.
- Don’t crowd the roses if you plan to plant more than one rose bush. Roses should be planted about two-thirds of the expected height apart. Old garden roses will need more space, while miniature roses can be planted closer.
Watch How To Properly Plant a Rose!
Care
Watering Roses
- Diligently water your roses. Soak the entire root zone at least twice a week in dry summer weather. Avoid frequent shallow sprinklings, which won’t reach the deeper roots and may encourage fungus. In the fall reduce the amount of water, but do not allow roses to completely dry out.
- Roses love water—but don’t drown them. That is, they don’t like to sit in water, and they’ll die if the soil is too wet in winter. The ideal soil is rich and loose, with good drainage. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to not provide adequate drainage.
- Use mulch. To help conserve water, reduce stress, and encourage healthy growth, apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of chopped and shredded leaves, grass clippings, or shredded bark around the base of your roses. Allow about 1 inch of space between the mulch and the base stem of the plant. See our Mulching Guide for more information.
Feeding Roses
- Artificial liquid fertilizers tend to promote plant growth that is soft and tender, and this type of foliage can attract aphids and other pests. Instead, rely on compost and natural fertilizers to feed your plants before and throughout the blooming cycle.
- Once a month between April and July, you could apply a balanced granular fertilizer (5-10-5 or 5-10-10). Allow ¾ to 1 cup for each bush, and sprinkle it around the drip line, not against the stem. See our fertilizer guide for more information.
- In May and June, you could scratch in an additional tablespoon of Epsom salts along with the fertilizer; the magnesium sulfate will encourage new growth from the bottom of the bush.
- Banana peels are a good source of calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and phosphates—all things that roses like. (Note that it will take longer for your roses to reap the benefits from bananas than it would with pure soil amendments.) Here are three ways to serve them up:
- Lay a strip of peel at the base of each bush.
- Bury a black, mushy banana next to each bush.
- Chop up the peels, let them sit for two weeks in a sealed jar of water, and pour the mixture under each bush.
Pruning Roses
- When pruning, be judicious. If you prune too hard in autumn, plants can be damaged beyond recovery. Instead, wait until spring, when plants begin to leaf out for the new season. (Roses are often not the earliest plants in the garden to respond to spring’s warming temperatures, so be patient.) Give the plant time to show its leaf buds then prune above that level.
- Destroy all old or diseased plant material. Wear elbow-length gloves that are thick enough to protect your hands from thorns or a clumsy slip, but flexible enough to allow you to hold your tools. Always wear safety goggles; branches can whip back when released.
- Don’t cut back or move roses in summer, as they might suffer and die in the heat. Large rose canes can be cut back by as much as two thirds, and smaller ones to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground.
- Use pruning shears for smaller growth. Use loppers, which look like giant, long-handle shears, for growth that is more than half an inch thick. A small pruning saw is handy, as it cuts on both the push and the pull.
- Deadhead religiously and keep beds clean. Every leaf has a growth bud, so removing old flower blossoms encourages the plant to make more flowers instead of using the energy to make seeds. Remove any debris around the rose bush that can harbor disease and insects.
- Late in the season, stop deadheading rugosas so that hips will form on the plants; these can be harvested and dried on screens, away from sunlight, then stored in an airtight container.
- Stop deadheading all your rose bushes 3 to 4 weeks before the first hard frost so as not to encourage new growth at a time when new shoots may be damaged by the cold.
- Not all types of roses are pruned the same way or at the same time of year. Learn more here: How to Prune Roses.
Winterizing Roses
- Do not prune roses in the fall. Simply cut off any dead or diseased canes.
- Clean up the rose beds to prevent overwintering of diseases. One last spray for fungus with a dormant spray is a good idea.
- Stop fertilizing 6 weeks before the first fall frost but continue watering during dry fall weather to help keep plants healthy during a dry winter.
- Add mulch or compost around the roses after a few frosts but before the ground freezes. Where temperatures stay below freezing during winter, enclose the plant with a sturdy mesh cylinder, filling the enclosure with compost, mulch, dry wood chips, pine needles, or chopped leaves (don’t use maple leaves for mulch, as they can promote mold growth).
Pests/Diseases
Good gardening practices, such as removing dead leaves and canes, will help reduce pests. If problems develop, horticultural oil and insecticidal soap can help control insects and mildews.
Possible rose pests and problems:
- Japanese Beetles
- Aphids
- Black Spot: Rose plant leaves with black spots that eventually turn yellow have black spot. This is often caused by water splashing on leaves, especially in rainy weather. Leaves may require a protective fungicide coating, which would start in the summer before leaf spots started until first frost. Thoroughly clean up debris in the fall, and prune out all diseased canes.
- Powdery Mildew: Leaves, buds, and stems will be covered with a white powdery coating. Mildew develops rapidly during warm, humid weather. Prevent mildew by pruning out all dead or diseased canes in the spring.
- Botrytis Blight: This gray fungus will cause the flower buds to droop, stay closed, or turn brown. Prune off all infected blossoms and remove any dead material. Fungicide application may be necessary.
- Spider Mites
- Thrips
- Rust
- Stem Borers
- Deer: Roses are a delectable tidbit, so try planting lavender near your roses. Not only will you have the makings of a nice potpourri, but the scent of lavender will discourage browsers. You can also spread human or dog hair around the garden area or check our list of deer-resistant plants to protect your roses.
In general, avoid rose issues by buying disease-resistant varieties and cleaning up debris, weeds, fallen leaves and any diseased plant material as soon as possible.
Also, speak to your local Cooperative Extension or trusted nursery about a spray program with products approved in your state.
Recommended Varieties
Traditionally, roses were notoriously challenging to grow. However, roses have changed. There are now many modern easy-to-grow types of roses available. Here are some of our favorites:
- Rugosas, with their showy, bright-pink, white, or lavender 5-petal blooms, are great for hedges and wherever a barrier is needed in an exposed or difficult site. They are disease-resistant and cold hardy to Zone 3. Many are fragrant and produce colorful hips. ‘Jens Munk’ blooms through most of the summer.
- Pink roses such as ‘Carefree Wonder’ are well-rounded shrub roses cold hardy to Zone 5. They grow about 3 feet tall and require only a little shaping in early spring.
- Yellow roses such as ‘Harrison’s Yellow’ blooms early, brightly, and sweetly, and will survive Zone 4 winters.
- Hybrid musk roses grow to 5 to 6 feet tall. This shrub rose has attractive foliage and clusters of many small to medium-size flowers. ‘Buff Beauty’ has clusters of fragrant apricot-yellow blooms.
- Flower Carpet roses are excellent for ground cover. Once established, they can provide up to 2,000 flowers from spring till fall. They’re extremely low maintenance, drought tolerant, and have exceptional disease resistance!
Flower Carpet Roses
See also our list of disease-resistant rose varieties.
Learn more about easy roses to grow, especially for beginners.
Wit & Wisdom
- Roses are edible! Rose petals are brewed for tea blends and sometimes used in gargles and tonics to treat congestion, sore throats, and stomach disorders.
- Rose water is a refreshing skin splash. Try a flower facial! Gentle, aromatic steam cleanses your pores. For oily skin, add a few rose petals to boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Make a bath towel tent and lean your face about 10 inches above the water. It should feel warm, not hot. After 10 minutes, rinse your face with cool water, then blot dry.
- Red roses symbolize love and desire, but roses come in a variety of colors and each has their own meaning. For example, the white rose’s meaning is purity and innocence. See flower meanings.
- Roses are also one of the beautiful June birth flowers.
- It is believed that the cultivation of roses began about 5,000 years ago in China.
- During the Roman Empire, rose gardens were established in the Middle East.
- In the 17th century, kings and queens considered roses legal tender for purchases.
- Roses have a long and symbolic history.
And I will make thee beds of roses,
And a thousand fragrant posies.
–Christopher Marlowe (1564-93)
Recipes
Cooking Notes
The tart reddish-orange hips of rugosa roses are used for jams, jellies, syrups, pies, teas, and wine. Check out our Rose Hip Jam recipe.
Rose petals are edible and can be tossed into salads for color, candied to decorate cakes, or distilled to make rose water. Make sure the rose petals are pesticide free.
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Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
red rose bush (hybrid)
My rose bush has doubled in size at the base and I was wondering if I could somehow split it in half as it is to big for the area I have it in. It has been there for 9 years and need to be moved forward or split.
dividing roses
The dormant season (December through February) is the best time to dig and divide your rose bush. As long as each division has roots and a few stems attached, it should develop into a happy shrub.
Roses in growndcover
Can roses be planted in a groundcover of Pachysandra?
roses
That’s a tricky one. Pachysandra prefers some shade and gets sunburnt. And roses like full sun. I’d say that pachysandra will fare well if it’s not constantly burning and it has lots of moisture. Definitely mulch. If the pachysandra dries out, you’ll have issues.
care of roses
very good info on roses i will try to plant Garlic next to them is mint good to plant next to roses since their roots spread ?
Overwintering a hybrid tea rose indoors?
I have a hybrid tea (Sterling Silver) rose plant in a 1 gallon plastic pot that was recently gifted to me in September. I have not had time to plant it yet, and am afraid to do so now b/c we had our first frost this week. Could you please provide me with any tips on how to overwinter it indoors? I do have one room in the house that is cooler (65 to 68 degrees, F) and has east, west and south-facing windows that I think would be ideal for overwintering the rosebush in. Do I need to repot it into a clay pot, and should I hard prune it now, or just remove any deadwood? This particular rose varietal has a lot of sentimental meaning for me, and I really want to keep it alive so that I can plant it outdoors next spring. Thanks in advance for your help!
overwintering a rose in a pot
The plant will become dormant—and you want it to stay that way; it is the natural state. After the first deep freeze, put is in a room or place (garage) with no heat and natural light (window). You can add some water occasionally but this is not intended to be “watering”; the plant is dormant and will not take it up but the soil can be lightly moist. Bring the plant back outside when it shows signs of coming back to life. Plant it, per the guidance above, when the soil warms.
roses that never bloom
I have some rose bushes that have never bloomed. Other roses near by always bloom.
what can I do to make them bloom, they appear to be very healthy bushes.
Eating leafs
Something is eating my leaves on my rose bushes leaving small holes in them.
Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles are a primary pest of roses. Check out our Japanese Beetles Pest Page here.
What should I do after the roses have started turning brown?
I have a beautiful rose garden at the new home we just moved into. The roses have bloomed are beginning to turn brown and curl up. How do I prune the bush? Or should I just leave them alone?
how to prune roses
There are different types of roses; you need to know which you’ve got. With that, here is some guidance:
HYBRIDS AND FLORIBUNDAS. Repeat-flowering roses
generally bloom on new wood and need a good clearing out
and cutting back very early in spring before they start greening
up and branching. About the time forsythias bloom, take
out all the dead wood, crossing canes, and spindly growth.
Then shape and prune back everything else, taking into account
the style of the garden and the size and nature of the
variety. Cut back old wood about 30 to 40 percent before
growth begins in late winter. Always cut to a live bud pointing
away from the center of the shrub to encourage outward
growth. Start deadheading after the first flush of flowers, and
continue throughout the summer to encourage more blooms.
■ SPECIES, OLD ROSES, AND ONCE-BLOOMING
SHRUB ROSES. Generally hardier than other roses, these
more primitive types bloom first on old wood in June; rebloomers
repeat on the current season’s growth. Remove diseased,
broken, or dead branches in early spring. After flowering,
prune lightly and selectively to shape the bushes and
control growth.
■ CLIMBING AND RAMBLING ROSES. These tend to
bloom on old wood. It’s fine to remove winter-killed branches
or otherwise damaged wood early in the year, but defer your
annual pruning until early summer, after the peak of bloom.
Prune to remove undesirable canes and to shape and train
growth. Side branches tend to flower more heavily than central
leaders.
yellow leaves . . .
See the pests/disease advice above. It is difficult to be certain what it might be.
Overgrown Rose bush
I have a beautiful rose bush that is quite overgrown (over 6ft tall) and hanging over a sidewalk. Is it possible to cut the top off and replant in another location? Or should I just plan to stake it and tie it back? Please help!
prune or replant?
First, see the pruning tips in the comments immediate above this one. If you decide to transplant, consider this: Roses can be cut back and moved in either spring or fall, but
not in midsummer, as they might suffer and die in the heat. Large rose canes can be cut back by as much as two thirds, and smaller ones to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground.
When you transplant your roses, be sure to dig a much bigger hole than you think you need (for most types, the planting hole should be about 15 to 18 inches wide), and add plenty of organic matter such as compost or aged manure. This will feed your plant in the years ahead. Some old-timers recommend placing a 4-inch square of gypsum wallboard and a 16-penny nail in the hole to provide calcium and iron, both appreciated by roses.
Transplanted in bloom, think I liked it
I bought hybrid tea roses last year. Not long after the first blooms, we moved one because it was interfering with the sprinkler system. It looked unhappy at first, but continued to bloom throughout the season. This year, it does not have so much as one leaf, no new foliage whatsoever, however, there is still green inside the stem towards the base of the cane. Is it done for, or is there a chance it will come back in it's second rear?
moved a rose
Numerous things could be influencing the plant, from soil quality (do you amend and or feed/fertilize it?) to the circumstances of the move. It’s best to transplant roses in spring or ofall, not midsummer. and the new location should have plenty of organic matter/aged manure (these are amendments, per above). And then there’s watering … . So we really can not tell from here.
Rose Bushes
I have two tea cup rose bushes they are about 4 years old they have always had
very large roses,this year they are very tiny,they have had fertilizer on them I really
need your help!!!
roses not blooming
Hi Katherine, You may have hit the reason. One of the most common reasons for roses not blooming well is the use of high nitrogen fertilizers or the over use of them. This will result in few to no blooms or small blooms and lots of foliage. Use a well balanced food or fertilizer when feeding your roses so that all of the rose’s nutritional needs are met.
Another issue can be high temperatures and heat and the resulting stress. Keep an eye on the soil moisture around your roses and make sure it’s moist several inches down.
Finally, there are bigger issues that could be at stake from insect damage to disease; give your roses bushes and good look for any damage. If not, it’s probably related to fertilizing or stress/heat/watering.
Transplanting a mature rose bush
Last week I transplanted a mature rose bush and it is looking bad. Some of the leaves have turned yellow. Help please.
Knock-out roses
Hi
My husband died leaving me with 75 hybrid tea roses to take care of.
Because of my declining health, I called our Master Gardener Club and gave the roses away to our Rose Club.
My question. All the roses were Hybrid Tea roses, except one, and all of different colours. He had one knock-out Bush.
They were all dug up properly.
8 roses have decided grow back and flourish. And they appear to be Knock-out roses and all are Red.
How do I get knockout roses from hybrid tea roots?? I miss the long stemmed roses. And red was my late husbands favorite. Please help me figure this out.
Thank you. De from Sweet Home Alabama
Stray Cats!
I have four beautiful rose bushes that are my pride & joy! I spend every day tending them & just enjoying them in general. My issue, however, is that there are ALOT of cats in my neighborhood that find my flower beds a perfect litter box! I have tried everything, that I know of, to keep those pests out! I've gotten to the point that I'm about to bury razor wire under the mulch! Nothing that I try deterrs them & their owners won't keep them inside! PLEASE HELP!! ANY ideas are appreciated!
Cat repellant
Cats hate vinegar. Try shallow saucers of vinegar, & slugs hate it too.
Cat and roses
Cat don't like black pepper I had a cat and a plant in the house he was using it for litter box to I put pepper around the base of the plant
Stray cats
I read on Pinterest to keep cats away, stick plastic throw-away forks around in your garden. Stick the handle part in the ground.
Leaving the fork tines sticking up. Worth a try!
Fill plastic gallon (1/2
Fill plastic gallon (1/2 gallon) jugs with water, and set in places where cats are a nuisance. When cats rub up against the plastic jugs, it causes static... which cats do not like.
Cat poo
I had problems with a neighbor and her cats for ten years. I tried everything even predator urine, still I had no luck. Then I got a live trap and a camera. I caught the cat's and the neighbor letting them out. I took them to court and now I have a cat free garden. Good luck
Is it worth buying roses at the end of summer?
I've never grown roses but they're currently on sale at our local Lowes at an incredible discount. I want to give it a try. But are they worth buying now? Do I wait to plant them until next spring; May/June? What do I do with them until then? Do I keep them in my garage? Wrap them up? Should I water them? -until when? Please help!
Sickly rose bush
Hi this is my first year growing roses and I have 2. One is a knockout yellow rose bush and it is doing great and is absolutely beautiful. My other rose bush is a Chicago hope hybrid tea rose and just keeps getting worse and worse. I believe it has blackspot, leaves get dark spots that get bigger until they cover whole leaf and gets on the leaves all around it if I don't clip them off as soon as I start seeing the spots. I am using a sulfur based spray on both plants every 7 days and feed it MG for roses (1gallon each plant) every 7 days. It starts to look better then bad again, it's done this all spring/summer. I've had a few blooms which are beautiful but it keeps getting to be less blooms and a lot smaller than when I first purchased it. It'll be winter soon and I'm wondering if there's a way to fix it that I'm not doing? Would it be better to leave the sickly rose in the ground and mulch or dig it up/pot it and bring inside for the winter? I'd appreciate any help I'd really like it to make it but there's only couple stems left alive on it and they are pretty short.
Sorry it's a Chicago peace
Sorry it's a Chicago peace hybrid tea rose, not Chicago hope
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