Rosesare one of the most commonly grown garden shrubs. Their extraordinary popularity is due to the huge selection of flowers and shapes, as well as the availability of varieties of different habit, growth strength and application. What makes somegarden rosesbloom and grow luxuriantly, while others are ailing and easily ill? Learn the secretsgrowing roses in the garden , see whichvarieties of garden roseswork best and learnhow to care for rosesthat they grow he althily and bloom profusely!
Roses in the garden
Garden roses - the history of cultivation
Rose flowershave been a symbol of male adoration for female beauty for centuries. The ancient Greeks considered roses a symbol of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Sappho, the most popular poet of ancient Greece, called the rose the queen of flowers, and to this day this nickname of the rose has not left. On a massive scale,roses were grownin ancient Rome, and their flowers were used to decorate many celebrations. When local production was not enough, roses began to be imported, among others. from North Africa.
In the Far East, rose oil was made of extremely valuable rose oil. The roses were also sung by troubadours, medieval poets and French musicians. These flowers were on the coats of arms of English families, and Empress Josephine, Napoleon's first wife, ran alegendary rose garden in her estate in Malmaison, France, in which she gathered over 200 varieties of roses(supposedly they were all then known).Today there are so many varieties of rose that it is almost impossible to know them all. For ease of classification, roses are divided into groups according to their habit, flowering and possible use in gardens.
Garden roses - varieties and groups
There are over 200 wild rose species and over 20 thousand species in the world.of noble rose varietiesThese shrubs are of various sizes and habitats - from several centimeters tall varieties of miniature roses to tall varieties - several meters high, with upright or hanging stems. Most roses have thorns on their stems. The leaves are shiny or dull, in many shades of green, sometimes reddish, often covered with a silvery wax coating.
Rose flowers are from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameterand can be embedded singly or collected in inflorescences. The petals are single-colored or two-colored and often change their shade as they fade.
Due to the large variety of these shrubs, depending on the strength of growth and their structure, roses are divided into several groups.Of course, we are most interested in those best suited for garden cultivation,varieties of garden rosesTo such we can undoubtedly include the most beautifully blooming large-flowered roses, and having a nice bushy habit and producing many flowers per shoot - roses rebate. Owners of large gardens can choose something for themselves among park roses, and climbing roses can climb by pergolas, fences or walls. Here are the details about each of these groups and how they can be used in gardens.
Large-flowered rose 'Fryderyk Chopin'
Large-flowered roses - these are roses with the largest and most beautiful flowers, mostly tea hybrids. It is undoubtedly the most numerous group of roses. The flowers of large-flowered roses often have a delicate, pleasant fragrance and are usually mounted singly on the stem. They are suitable for bouquets and occasional bouquets, i.e. those roses that we most often buy in flower shops as cut flowers.Unfortunately, the possibility of growing them in gardens is limited by the rather exorbitant cultivation requirements.
If not large-flowered roses, which others will work best asgarden roses ?
Bedding roses - also known as multi-flower roses, this is a large group of varieties that can be used to create long-flowering beds or low hedges. Roses from this group are characterized by the fact that they produce from several to several dozen flowers on one shoot. This group of roses is most commonly planted in gardens, and the small size of rose bushes from this group allows them to be planted even in small flower beds and garden shrubs. They are between 20 and 100 cm tall, depending on the variety.
Rabat rose 'Bonica 82' - recommended variety, very resistant and tolerant to unfavorable conditions, blooms from summer to autumn
Climbing roses - this group includesrose varietieswith long, slender stems that can be stretched on supports.Although they do not produce clinging organs, they give the impression of creepers. Despite the fact that in our climate they often freeze, they are eagerly planted due to their attractive appearance - they can decorate the walls of houses, gates, climb pergolas or trellises.
Park roses - these are shrubs with stiff straight stems that branch strongly and grow up to 2-3 m in height. They are resistant to diseases and pests, require almost no care, are frost-resistant and grow well in poor soil. They bloom profusely once or twice a season. Due to their size (they can grow up to 2.5 m), they are mainly suitable for large gardens, where they can be planted individually on the lawn or in a row, creating a flowering hedge.
"Standard roses - these are grafted varieties on a trunk, also known as rose trees. They are obtained by grafting noble varieties from different groups on a specially prepared shoot of wild rose. They can even be planted in a small garden or grown in a container.They are perfect for emphasizing the place we want to pay special attention to, perfect for balconies and terraces.
"Ground cover roses - are quite little known, although their use can be great. These roses are bushy and quickly cover the ground, creating dense thickets that bloom profusely in summer. They are resistant to frost, bad climatic conditions and diseases.
Miniature roses - these shrubs are small (from 20 to 30 cm high) and have small flowers, about 2.5 cm in diameter. They can be grown in the apartment, as well as in gardens, on balconies and as cut flowers. Grown at home as houseplants, after flowering, they can be transplanted into the garden by lightly pruning them. They look nice on discounts or rockery.
Park rose 'Westerland'
Garden roses - growing position
Roses are not very demanding as to the soil- they go on sandy loam, light, permeable soils with a high content of humus with a pH of 6-7, and not waterlogged.If the soil is too compact and wet, it is worth draining under the rose bush using expanded clay (a few centimeters of expanded clay is poured onto the bottom of the hole dug for the rose). It is also worth loosening the soil and mixing it with compost or adding a ready-made, fertile substrate for roses.
A properly selected place for growing roses in the garden plays a much greater roleIt should be sunny, but rather not hot. It is also advisable thatthe place where the roses are grown is sheltered from winds , because many of these shrubs are not fully frostproof and frosty winds blowing from the east or north may harm them. If we cannot provide such a position, pay attention tofrost resistance of rose varietiesselected for our garden.
How to plant roses in the garden?
Planting roses is best done in the fall - from mid-October to frost or in spring (throughout April). Bushes should be planted so that the grafting site is level with the ground (on sandy soils it can be slightly deeper, and on clay soils slightly above the surface).In the case of autumn planting, the planted bushes should be protected against freezing by making a mound of soil with a height of 20 - 25 cm. The same should be done with stiff roses, covering their crown (in the place of budding) after bending to the ground, or without bending, tie the crown with straw or needles.
How to care for garden roses?
For he althy growth and abundant flowering, it is extremely important to properlyfertilize garden rosesShrubs should be regularly fed with one of the multi-component fertilizers containing min. nitrogen and potassium. Thanks to the popularity of these flowering shrubs, in gardening stores there is a large selection ofspecialist fertilizers suitable for the cultivation of rosesRemember, however, to stop nitrogen fertilization from the second half of August. Fertilization with nitrogen at a later date causes that the lignification of the shoots is inhibited, which may cause them to freeze in the winter.
Proper watering is very important in rose care It is especially important to pour the water directly onto the ground, without wetting the shoots and leaves of the roses. Fungal diseases can easily develop on leaves that are moistened too often. The bushes should not be watered every day. It is better to water them abundantly once every few days.The care of roses growing in our garden will be easier if we cover the substrate with peat, mushroom substrate or pine bark. The litter is spread with a few centimeters layer, after prior application of mineral fertilizers and loosening the soil. Such a mulch will prevent weeds from growing and reduce the evaporation of water from the ground.
How to prune garden roses?
In spring, when the earth is frosty and the fear of greater drops in temperature has passed, remove the winter covers, shred the soil from the mounds andcut the rosesFirst of all, prune bouquet and large-flowered roses. All shoots are pruned into 3 or 4 eyes. A low cut will make the shrub well branched, dense and regular.Tree roses are cut like shrub roses, paying attention to the formation of the crown. Bedding and climbing roses only require x-raying, removing sick or frozen shoots. Apart from spring pruning, wild shoots growing from the rootstock should be removed during the growing season. Such suckers are removed close to the root. They grow very quickly and weaken the bush. All shoots are pruned with a sharp secateurs, slightly obliquely at a distance of about 5 cm. from the eyelet facing the outside of the crown. Cutting wounds should be covered with garden ointment or emulsion paint with the addition of a fungicide (fungicide).
Propagation of garden roses
Roses are propagated in three ways - by cutting, budding on a rootstock or by seeds. Planting is the easiest method, but it takes three years to get a ready plant (except for miniature roses, where this period is shorter). Many roses can be propagated from woody cuttings, although the percentage of rooting varies.In areas with severe winters, propagation by semi-woody cuttings is recommended. To prepare such a seedling, at the end of summer, after flowering, mature side shoots that are still green are selected. They are made into cuttings about 10 cm long. Then they are placed in deep pots filled with a sandy substrate (equal parts of peat and sand). To facilitate the rooting of cuttings, it is worth immersing them in a rooting agent before planting.
Pots with seedlings are covered with foil and stored in a cool, frost-free room. In spring, rooted cuttings are planted in the bed.
