Planting rose bushes questions

[tx_angler]

I got a request today to plant rose bushes and have a couple of questions:


We still have the possibility of freezing temperatures, will that hurt the plant? Should I talk the customer into waiting till after last freeze?
About how long does it take to dig a hole and plant the bush? I'm already familiar with the concept of not burying the root-ball too shallow or deep
Any suggestions for a first timer? Fertilizer? The soil is very heavy clay (almost the consistency of modeling clay)


Thanks in advance!

Dennis

[Guthrie&Co]

plant in early spring/ ammend soil with bone meal/ organics/ sand

most rose bushes require high drainage.

i can tell you all the info you need if you can find out exactly what kind of rose bush you have.
i.e climbing rose,memorial rose,jap. rose, rudose rose, banks rose,rose of sharon.

better yet get a pic and send it to me.

[tx_angler]

plant in early spring/ ammend soil with bone meal/ organics/ sand

most rose bushes require high drainage.

i can tell you all the info you need if you can find out exactly what kind of rose bush you have.
i.e climbing rose,memorial rose,jap. rose, rudose rose, banks rose,rose of sharon.

better yet get a pic and send it to me.

Thanks - lady called earlier tonight and I'll go by there tomorrow and get the details.

[Garth]

First thing is to remember that the genus Rosa does not take freezing temps to well. I'd wait until the chance of frost is gone or live with the fact that the plants may die. Secondly, I'd dig the holes quite deep and amend the soil with alot of blood meal, gypsum, and soil amendment as well as a healthy dose of perlite or sand and backfill 3/4 full leaving enough room for the rootball. If it is a bareroot, soak it at least seven hours in water with a cap full of B-1 or a drop per gallon of water of Superthrive and then plant. If the plant is in a pot, water it well with a tsp per gallon of B-1 and keep about a gallon of the mix on hand after you plant it. Apply normal watering routine and once every two weeks add a little B-1 mixture. I have found that fish emulsion will work wonders in Spring but the neighbors will HATE it. I've been a member of the Rose Society for twenty three years in May. Best of luck-Garth
P.S The rose of sharon is Hibiscus syriacus and not an actual rose.

[ProMo]

see if the knock out rose is available in your area they are always in bloom and resist black spot

[Guthrie&Co]

garth said it all. thanks

[tx_angler]

Thanks, guys

I just went by the customers house and there are 12 bushes maybe 14-18" tall in small pots she said they were Tea Roses (sp?). It's an older lady and she seems knowledgable about the plants so i'm going to do a little more research but mostly let her run the show. She wasn't happy about waiting till after last freeze but I guess she'll learn to live with it or get someone else to do it.

Thanks again,

Dennis

[Guthrie&Co]

well if she knew so much about the roses then she should have known the obvious about waiting until the last frost. i am looking up the roses be with you in a few mins

[Guthrie&Co]

the tea rose is a hybrid rose.

size -6-40 feet spread indeterminate

form -vigorous growing canes incapapable of climbing unless trainedon supports

flowers- may to august 1 to 3 inches in diameter

culture sun to part shade. soil- good draiage, high fertility. moisture- medium pruning- annual to train growth and to maintain vigor of plant. pest problems- less susceptible to disease and pest than rose bush roses; use all purpose rose spray when necessary. growth rate- rapid

notes- will bloom better in a horizontal plane

varities of hybrid rose- blaze,golden showers,new dawn,pauls scarlet,peace,silver moon,sparrieshoop

[Garth]

I have a suggestion that works well. After determining the variety of the rose, use groupings that will either compliment or contrast. By this I mean for instance; Angel Face is a low-growing lavender rose, Neptune is a hybrid lavender Tea rose that can do 8ft. By putting the Angel face in front you get a wall of flowers that have a subtle change in colour as the heighth increases. By contrast, using opposites colours such as orange with blue or yellow with purple. I've used Redgold roses next to Sterling roses and the contrast stops traffic. Any art shop sells colour wheels that are charts showing primary, secondary, and trimenics and can be used in planning some really show-stopping displays. Don't forget to check the height of each plant and go from low in the front to high in the back. Of course, rules are meant to be broken...-Garth

[blafleur]

I dont agree with the need to wait until spring. If they are outside in pots, they would be better off in the ground. I plant container roses year 'round in the Dallas area, and have not had any freeze problems, nor have I seen any suggestions from local experts to avoid winter plantings.

The Dallas area black clay is not suitable for roses, and most other plants for that matter. Garth's planting suggestions are good for our area also. For the amount of plantings you are discussing, I would go to SBS (Soil Building Systems) in west dallas and get their planting mix. Living Earth Technology also has a soil mix specially formulated for roses, but I prefer SBS, they both have web sites. Also check out this website:
www.froebuck.home.texas.net
His name is Field Roebuck, and he has a wealth of rose info for the Dallas area. He also has recommended roses for our area that I have found very useful. There area actually a few roses that require little more maintenance that other common shrubs if you give them decent soil.

Bryan

[Coffeecraver]

We have planted roses with temperatures just above freezing.
They were bare root roses that were delayed in shipping for fall planting.

It is not normal practice but they will survive and are better off in the ground than in a pot over the winter as (blafleur) suggested.

When we did it the roses were planted and mulch was piled up over the top of them so they were completely covered. Then as the temperatures got a little warmer like mid 40's - mid 50's regularly we removed a small amount of mulch at a time,until we had them uncovered with temps. around upper
50's and 60's.The roses came out great.

:)

[Jacobsjet]

If you're a Texas landscaper, one of your best bets is to check with your local county extention office. Check with the Master Gardeners. They will give you all the info you need about roses. They will also tell you what roses do well in your area.