Roses (Rosa spp.) are popular garden shrubs, and with the right conditions, they are easier to grow than many gardeners expect.
Understanding a few basic growing needs—such as space, sunlight, and blooming habits—can make a big difference in how well your roses perform.
What Roses Need to Grow Well
Space and Mature Size
Roses vary in size, so it’s important to know how large a plant will be at maturity. Some roses stay compact at under 3 feet tall, while others grow much larger and need more room.
Giving roses enough space improves air circulation, reduces disease problems, and helps plants bloom more reliably.
Sunlight
Most roses grow best with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. More sun generally means stronger growth and better flowering.
Some roses tolerate partial shade, but flowering may be lighter in less sun.
Blooming Habits
Roses differ in how often they bloom. Some flower once per season, while others bloom repeatedly from spring through fall.
For continuous color, look for roses labeled repeat-blooming or continuous bloom.
While roses vary in size and bloom habits, most garden roses share the same basic growing needs, making them easier to care for than many gardeners expect.
Types
Roses can feel overwhelming when you’re new to them. No need to learn the whole rose universe right away—or start with the fussy types. Let’s begin with sturdy, low‑maintenance roses that give you the best chance of success.
Botanically, roses fall into three broad groups (species, old garden, and modern), but beginners will find it most helpful to choose by growth habit: shrubs, climbers, hybrid teas, or miniatures.
Choosing Your First Rose
If you’re new to roses, start with a shrub rose. They’re the toughest, most low‑maintenance roses you can grow.
Shrub Roses (Rose Bushes)
Shrub roses form rounded, bushy plants and are the most reliable, low‑maintenance roses for new gardeners. They bloom generously, resist disease, and need very little pruning.
Examples:
- Knock Out Roses — continuous bloom, excellent disease resistance; hardy in Zones 5–10
- Flower Carpet Roses — groundcover style, nonstop flowers; hardy in Zones 4–10
- Rugosa Roses — incredibly hardy, fragrant, and tough; many varieties (like ‘Jens Munk’) hardy to Zone 2
If you’re just starting out, shrub roses are your safest, easiest choice. See 3 easy roses for beginners!
Climbing Roses
Climbers send out long canes that need support from a trellis, fence, or arbor. They’re stunning but require training and a bit more attention, so many beginners add them after they’ve grown a shrub rose or two.
Examples:
- ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ (David Austin) — repeat‑blooming, fragrant; hardy in Zones 4–11
- ‘New Dawn’ — hardy, forgiving, blush‑pink; Zones 5–9
- ‘Don Juan’ — deep red, sweet fragrance; Zones 6–9
- ‘Iceberg’ — white, heat‑tolerant, disease‑resistant; Zones 4–9
Hybrid Tea Roses
These are the classic long‑stemmed roses you see in bouquets. They produce beautiful, elegant blooms — and they’re also the fussiest. Hybrid teas often need more pruning, feeding, and disease prevention, so they’re usually not a beginner’s first rose.
Examples:
- ‘Pink Peace’ — large, fragrant blooms; hardy in Zones 5–10
- ‘Sunsprite’ (‘KORresia’) — compact yellow floribunda; fragrant and disease‑resistant; Zones 5–9
Miniature Roses
Small, compact roses that stay tidy in containers or small gardens. They bloom repeatedly and are surprisingly tough, but need extra care if grown in pots. Most varieties fall within Zones 5–9.
See also our list of disease-resistant rose varieties.
More Like This
Japanese beetles are a primary pest of roses. Check out our Japanese Beetles Pest Page here.
See the pests/disease advice above. It is difficult to be certain what it might be.
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.
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.
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