Topic: Rose help please

[RSJK]

Today I have been out and brought an Hybrid Tea rose to plant in my garden in remembrance of my Father who most of you know I lost yesterday. It is called
"Simply The Best", I  am not a rose grower and I would appreciate any help that I could be given on how to plant and look after it.

Thank you kindly  Richard

[manicscousers]

lovely thought, Richard, I've got a peace rose my mum bought me 30 years ago..bit sad but I can't get rid of it..hope you get lots of blooms on it, no doubt someone will be able to give you some advice.. :)

[Tulipa]

Oh Richard, I am so sorry to hear your news.  I think the name of your rose is absolutely superb, and it is a good time to plant roses.  Other than that I am no expert but I think they like a good rich soil.  Hopefully someone else can advise better than me.  I just wanted to say how sorry I am. :(  What with the taxman etc as well, things must get better soon. ;)

[Admin aka Dan]

Richard,

Sorry to hear of your loss.

I've moved this thread as you requested.

Dan

[Tulipa]

Richard, I was in the garden centre today and had a look at the Roses. 

The planting instructions were just to add some well rotted manure or garden compost and a proprietry rose food. 

It used to be that you shouldn't plant the rose any deeper because of covering the graft, but I have equally read that you get less suckers if you do cover the graft, so I am not much help.  That's why I hoped someone else would come along with more knowledge than me.... ;)

Maybe now your thread is moved....

Good luck
T.

[cambourne7]

Sorry to hear about your dad richard.

Though this would be appropriate

A rose once grew where all could see,
sheltered beside a garden wall,
And, as the days passed swiftly by,
it spread it brances straigt and tall..

One day, a beam of light shone though
a crevice that had opened wide -
The rose bent gently towards its warmth
then passed beyond to the other side.

Now, you who deeply feel its loss,
be comforted - the rose blooms there -
Its beauty even greater now,
nurtured by Gods own loving care.


To add to whats been said roses dont like being where another rose was, its a good idea to add bonemeal.

[KittyKatt]

Dear Richard
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I think a rose is a lovely way to remember someone. I've grown roses for a number of years now, so I'll share what works for me. They are a bit of time and trouble, but I think they're worth it.
Firstly, you need to decide where to plant it. Roses don't like competition from overhanging plants. They like a sunny spot, and good rich soil, which is reasonably free draining. They won't do well in soil that's had roses growing in it before. If your soil's not very good, don't worry, as you can improve it by digging in lots of organic matter.  Many roses also do well in large pots on the patio. I'm assuming your rose is currently in a container, so you need to dig a hole wide enough to accommodate the root ball and around 7.5 to 10 am of planting mixture. It also needs to be deep enough so that the bud union (the bulge near the bottom of the stems where they have been budded onto the rootstock) is about 2.5 cm below the surface of the soil.  I have recently started spreading David Austin's Rootgrow at the bottom of the hole (available in garden centres) and have been pleased with the results. You need to make uyp a planting mixture of soil, garden compost (or ordinary shrub/rose/tree compost if you haven't got your own garden compost) with a couple of handfuls of rose food eg Toprose. Take the plant out of its container and place it in the hole. Fill in with planting mixture, gently firming as you go. To finish, apply a mulch of organic material (make sure this doesn't touch the stems) and label the rose.  You will need to water regularly during dry weatther in spring and summer this year. It will need around 5 litres at a time - the idea is to really soak the soil to make the roots grow downwards. Check your rose after strong winds, as it may need refirming.
Feeding - I use Toprose twice a year - once in March and once when the first flush of flowers has faded. don't forget to deadhead when the flowers go over, to encourage it to produce more. I also foliar feed at the same time as spraying.
Pruning - you will need a sharp pair of secateurs. It probably won't need pruning this year as it's probably already been done by the nursery. In future years, you should prune all dead / diseased wood right out, and then prune back to an outward facing bud, making sure to cut around 1cm above the bud, and on a slant. The idea is to have an open centred shrub. Don't be afraid to prune quite hard. Many people only take a little off each year, with the result that he plant gets steadily taller and taller, and only produces flowers right at the top. In a few years time, you might want to take out one or two of the oldest stems completely. This will encourage the plant to produce new stems from the base, and keep it "young". Pull off any suckers which may be thrown up from the rootstock. You can tell which these are, as the leaflets have a different form and colour. I recommend the "Rose Expert" by Dr Hessayon - there are some good pictures to follow here, and lots of advice. When you prune will depend where in the country you live. I live in the SW and tend to prune late autumn (End November, beginning of December) depending on the weather, because it's more pleasant for me, and also the roses don't get buffeted by the winter gales. However, many people tend to prune around now - this is probably safer if you live in a colder part of the country.
Spraying - a somewhat contentious subject, I know, but unfortunately many roses are susceptible to blackspot (black blotches on leaves), rust (yellow/red pustules on underside of leaves)and /or mildew, although there are some roses that are more disease resistant than others. . There are several fungicide sprays available - I  use Systhane fungus fighter, alternated  with Scotts Fungus Clear. Roses are the one plant I do spray as I work on the principle that I'm not going to eat the roses and I prefer to have them looking good, as blackspot in particular can be quite debilitating. I don't use any insecticides, however. Greenfly respond very well to being squashed between finger and thumb, and I pick off caterpillars - being observant is half the battle. Good garden hygiene is also important - don't forget to pull off any diseased leaves and put them in the dustbin NOT the compost bin, as this can spread the diseases. Also pick up any leaves that fall off and put them in the dustbin. Although they may not show any signs of disease, it's better to be safe than sorry. If all this sounds like hard work, it isn't really, but beware, roses can be addictive, and you may find you soon have a collection!!!
I hope you enjoy your rose and that it gives you many years of pleasure.

KittyKatt

[Tulipa]

Thank you KittyKat, that's much better than I could have done.  I was looking at Roses today so will go and buy some now. :)

[Tee Gee]

And if Kitty Kats reply is not enough you might find a bit more here;http://tinyurl.com/23c4wj