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How to Grow Roses: A Practical Guide for Beginners

Delicate peach roses in a full bloom in the garden. Close-up photo. Dark green background. Orange floribunda rose in the garden. Garden concept. Rose flower blooming on background blurry roses flower
Image Credit:
Mary Shutterstock/SS
Botanical Name
Rosa spp.
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
High
Height
3-6 feet
Spread
3-6 feet
Soil pH
Acidic
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Orange
Pink
Red
White
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Fragrant
Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Songbirds
Resilience
Clay Soil Tolerant
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Flowers
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

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.

pink roses

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.

Planting

Planting correctly gives roses the best start and helps them establish strong roots. 

Best Time to Plant Roses

The best time to plant roses is in spring or fall—and when most gardeners plant them—is in the spring or fall. Temperatures are mild, and the soil is workable. These seasons give roses time to establish roots before facing summer heat or winter cold.

Spring Planting

Spring is the most common time to plant roses, especially in colder climates. Plant after the danger of hard frost has passed and the soil can be worked. Spring-planted roses focus on growing roots and foliage first, then begin flowering as the season progresses.

Fall Planting

In mild climates, fall is also an excellent time to plant roses. Cooler temperatures reduce stress on new plants, and roots can continue to grow while the soil is still warm. Plant roses several weeks before the ground freezes to give them time to settle in.

Bare-Root vs. Container Roses

Roses are sold either bare-root or in containers. Bare-root roses are usually planted in early spring or fall while dormant. Container-grown roses offer more flexibility and can be planted over a wider window, provided they are watered well.

When Not to Plant

Avoid planting roses during extreme heat, drought, or when the ground is frozen. These conditions make it harder for new plants to establish healthy roots.

Where to Plant Roses

Roses grow best in locations that provide plenty of sun, good air circulation, and well-drained soil. Choosing the right site helps prevent disease and encourages strong growth.

Sunlight

Most roses need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Morning sun is especially helpful because it dries moisture from the leaves and reduces disease problems.

In hot climates, a bit of afternoon shade can help protect flowers from intense heat.

Air Circulation

Good air circulation keeps foliage healthy. Avoid planting roses too close together or directly against walls or dense shrubs, where air movement is limited.

Soil and Drainage

Roses prefer soil that drains well but retains some moisture. Poor drainage is one of the most common causes of rose problems—roses do not tolerate soggy soil.

Loose, loamy soil is ideal, and heavier soils can often be improved with added organic matter before planting.

How to Plant Roses

Planting roses carefully helps them establish strong roots and healthy growth.

Step-by-Step Planting

  1. Prepare bare-root or potted roses.
    Soak bare-root roses in a bucket of water for 8 to 12 hours before planting. For container-grown roses, gently loosen the roots if they are tightly circling the pot.
  2. Dig a wide planting hole.
    Dig a hole as deep as the roots and about twice as wide. Loosen the soil at the bottom and mix in compost or aged manure.
  3. Set the rose in place.
    Place the rose in the hole so it sits at roughly the same depth it was growing before. For bare-root roses, position the crown just below the soil surface.
  4. Backfill and firm the soil.
    Refill the hole with amended soil, gently firming it around the roots to remove air pockets.
  5. Water thoroughly.
    Water deeply after planting to help settle the soil and encourage root growth.
  6. Mulch and protect.
    Apply a light layer of mulch around the base of the plant, keeping it a few inches away from the stems. In colder or windy areas, mounding loose soil around the canes for the first few weeks can help protect newly planted roses as they adjust.
  7. Space roses properly.
    Avoid crowding roses. Most roses should be spaced about two-thirds of their expected mature height apart, with more room for large shrub or old garden roses and less for miniature types.

Growing

Rose Care Basics

Once established, roses need regular care to stay healthy and bloom well. This section covers the basics of rose care, including watering, feeding, pruning, and seasonal maintenance.

Watering Roses

Roses need deep, consistent watering, especially during dry weather. Soak the root zone thoroughly rather than sprinkling lightly, which encourages shallow roots and fungal problems.

  • Water deeply once or twice a week during dry summer weather
  • Avoid wetting the leaves whenever possible
  • Reduce watering in fall, but do not allow plants to dry out completely

Mulching helps conserve moisture and reduce stress. Apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch, keeping it a few inches away from the stems. See our Mulching Guide for more information.

Deadheading Roses

Deadheading—removing spent blooms—helps roses flower longer and keeps plants looking tidy. Removing faded flowers encourages roses to put energy into new blooms rather than seed production.

  • Deadhead regularly during the blooming season
  • Cut stems back to the first healthy leaf below the spent flower
  • Remove soggy or fallen petals to keep beds clean

Stop deadheading 3 to 4 weeks before the first hard frost to avoid encouraging tender new growth late in the season.

Feeding and Fertilizing Roses

Roses benefit from fertile soil but do not require heavy feeding.

  • Work compost or aged manure into the soil before planting
  • Apply a balanced fertilizer once a month from spring through mid-summer
  • Stop fertilizing about 6 weeks before the first fall frost

Avoid excessive feeding, which can result in soft growth that attracts pests and produces fewer flowers.

Pruning Roses

Pruning encourages healthy growth and better flowering, but timing matters—and it depends on the type of rose you’re growing.

  • Repeat-blooming roses (such as hybrid teas and floribundas) are usually pruned in early spring, just as new growth begins.
  • Old garden roses and many climbing roses bloom on older wood and should be pruned after flowering, not in spring.

At any time of year, remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood. Always use clean, sharp tools.

For detailed pruning advice by rose type and season, see our Rose Growing and Care Guide.

Plants That Pair Well With Roses

Companion plants can improve the appearance of rose beds and help maintain good growing conditions. Low-growing plants help hide bare lower stems and suppress weeds while allowing air to circulate.

Catmint (Nepeta), lavender (Lavandula), lady’s mantle (Alchemilla), and dianthus pair well with roses and add color and texture to the garden.

Winterizing Roses

In colder climates, basic winter care helps protect roses from damage.

  • Shorten very tall canes in fall to reduce wind damage
  • Clean up fallen leaves and plant debris around rose bushes
  • After several frosts, mound compost or mulch around the base of plants

Container-grown roses can be overwintered in an unheated garage or basement in cold regions. Water sparingly during dormancy.

Harvesting

Cutting Roses for Bouquets

Cutting roses correctly encourages plants to produce more blooms, so you can enjoy fresh flowers throughout the season.

When to cut:

  • Choose blooms that are just starting to open, with petals beginning to unfurl
  • Cut early in the morning, when stems are full of moisture

How to cut:

  • Use clean, sharp pruners
  • Cut the stem at a 45° angle just above a five-leaflet leaf
  • Place stems in water immediately

Did You Know? Rose Petals Are Edible

Rose petals are edible, but only if they come are free from chemicals and pesticides. The petals can be tossed into salads for color, candied to decorate cakes, or distilled to make rose water. 

The tart, reddish-orange hips of rugosa roses are commonly used in jams, jellies, syrups, teas, and other recipes.
See our Rose Hip Jam recipe for a classic example.

Pests and Problems

Good growing practices help prevent most rose problems.

  • Provide full sun and good air circulation.
  • Water at the soil level to keep foliage dry.
  • Remove fallen leaves and diseased material promptly.
  • Choose disease-resistant rose varieties whenever possible.
  • Many insect problems can be managed with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil when applied early.

Also, speak with your local Cooperative Extension or a trusted nursery about control options and spray programs using products approved in your state.

Common Rose Pests and Problems

Aphids
Aphids are common on roses but are easy to manage. Spray plants with a strong stream of water or use insecticidal soap, and check plants regularly.

Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles can cause significant damage by feeding on leaves and flowers. Deterrents include hand-picking, protective covers, and companion planting. See our tips for plants that help discourage Japanese beetles.

Black Spot
Black spot causes dark spots on leaves that turn yellow and drop. It is often triggered by water splashing on foliage, especially during rainy weather. Remove infected leaves promptly, clean up debris in fall, and prune out diseased canes. Preventive fungicides may be used if problems persist.

Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew appears as a white, powdery coating on leaves, buds, and stems. It develops in warm, humid conditions. Improve air circulation and remove infected growth to help prevent its spread.

Spider Mites
Spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions and can cause stippled, discolored leaves. Regular watering and insecticidal soap can help control infestations.

Thrips
Thrips feed on buds and flowers, causing distorted or discolored blooms. Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil may help reduce damage.

Rust
Rust appears as orange or rust-colored spots on leaves. Remove infected foliage and improve air circulation to limit spread.

Stem Borers
Stem borers enter through pruning cuts and cause wilting or dieback. Proper pruning and sealing large cuts can help prevent damage.

Deer
Roses are attractive to deer. Planting strongly scented companions such as lavender may help deter browsing. Physical barriers and deer-resistant plantings offer the most reliable protection. See our list of deer-resistant plants.

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! 

Flower Carpet roses
Flower Carpet Roses dripping with flowers but they require no spraying and only light pruning.

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.

Wit and Wisdom

  • The rose is the national flower of the United States and is celebrated each year at the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. It is also the state flower of New York.
  • Roses have been cultivated for at least 5,000 years, with early gardens recorded in China and later throughout the Roman world.
  • Red roses symbolize love and desire, but roses come in many colors, each with its own meaning. White roses, for example, represent purity and innocence. See flower meanings.
  • Roses are one of June’s birth flowers, long associated with beauty, affection, and new beginnings.

“And I will make thee beds of roses,
And a thousand fragrant posies.”
—Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593)

Flowers

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/24/2017 - 15:27

Hi Tamara,

Rose bushes require about 1 inch of water per week during their growing period, while during the winter you should allow the soil to dry out to a depth of 1 inch between waterings. If you see a lack of blooms when the bush has grown more and begun to crowd the pot, it's time to replant in a bigger pot. Roses can get by on 3 to 4 hours of sunlight a day, so don't worry too much about providing extra light with a grow lamp. If you do decide to use one, make sure you're consistent and don't surprise the rose bush with light in the middle of the night. Keep the temperature below 75 degrees F during the day and above 40 degrees F at night.

 <span>Natalie Joy</span> Fri, 06/30/2017 - 08:56
So, I recently moved back to my parents house in Maryland, just outside of D.C. and have been working on improving their back yard which at first had nothing but a tangled old rose bush and overgrown mulberry tree. I'm not an experienced gardener however,and pruning the rose bush has been the most daunting task. It has not been pruned, watered, fertilized or anything that I see you suggest here in at least 20 years possibly more. It does bloom early spring, but the majority of the blooms are tangled in the branches on the mulberry tree! How do I go about untangling this bush? It is now almost July is it ok to start pruning now? I also noticed some ivy growing around the base of the bush, is this killing it?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 06/30/2017 - 15:46

No, do not prune now. Wait to prune in the spring. It's not only the right time to prune a rose bush, but it will be a lot easier to prune when it's not in growth mode! You want to prune after all flowering is done.

You'll start with removing all dead and dying canes--entirely. These are the canes that look shriveled, dark brown, or black. And you'll also remove all thin, weak canes that are smaller than a pencil in diameter. Start there!

If it's been growing for this many years, don't bother it now. In the spring, you'll also want to clear away all suckers and any other plants at its base.

 <span>Linda Riker</span> Thu, 06/15/2017 - 20:59
How do I prevent roses from reverting to a wild rose with small dark red bloom
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 06/16/2017 - 12:18

We're not sure what you mean by wild. What you may be seeing is that many roses are grafted, so the branches are one variety and the lower root system is a hardier rose. If those lower roots sprout branches, they may look like a different rose than the top branches. The variety that is very common is "Dr. Huey," which is used for the lower rootstock and produces small, two-inch, dark red flowers as you describe! Those roses all probably started out with branches and blossoms of a different variety such as a less hardy tea rose. It's just what happens with this variety. You may wish to try other varieties of roses if this bothers you. Also, avoid planting too shallowly.

 <span>David Tjepkema</span> Thu, 06/08/2017 - 15:20
I lived in Wis. and had good luck with roses. (64 at one time) I now live on coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Tx. and don't know when to prune or how to take care of them? HELP
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 06/08/2017 - 16:30

We will let the rose experts handle this, and there are many in Texas. Here is a group in Houston: http://www.houstonrose.org/hrsconsl.htm Search for "rosarians, Texas" for more. You can also consult your local cooperative extension; find those in Texas here: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services

We hope this helps!

 <span>Ellie</span> Thu, 06/08/2017 - 11:14
Hi I live in Washington state west side & have 2 beautiful tong stemmed roses. They receive the good care you recommend & lots of sun in summer. Last year I picked the flowers to bring inside & they didn't bloom again all summer . I kept them fertilized & watered as usual, never had this problem before. Advice please . This year they have lots of buds & I would like to enjoy them all summer.
<span>Wanda Ellis</span> Sun, 06/04/2017 - 12:26
I have some of my bushes that are very skinny stalks and then there are some have very thick shoots what am I doing wrong
<span>Jen</span> Tue, 05/16/2017 - 12:39
I have an heirloom rose bush from my great-grandmother that I can't keep contained. It shoots out from the roots and starts a new sprouts everywhere, up to six feet away from the main bush. How can I keep this rose from taking over my garden?