EARLY SPRING ROSE GARDEN CARE (March - April)
by
Albert Ford, Editor, MRS Newsletter

     A number of rosarians in this area order new roses to arrive in the latter part of the year (November-Early December). Hortico in Canada, for example, ships roses to the States after the second frost in Canada which usually results in delivery for Maryland in late November. The theory behind late fall planting is that some root growth will occur before hard winter sets in and, therefore, the new roses will have a jump on those planted the next spring.
       Most rosarians, however, wait until spring because they buy from current (same year) catalogs or from available plants at their garden center. Garden centers purchase their roses the year before they are placed on sale. Such roses are usually boxed or containerized although bare rooted roses can be obtained locally. "Boxed" roses-- like those sold under the Jackson & Perkins name--are available in March and come in a tight box filled with their own soil mixture. A wax spray or dip has been applied to the canes protruding from the top of the carton or box for protection and moisture retention purposes.
      Containerized roses are received by the garden center as bare rooted and are placed in plastic containers filled with peat moss, vermiculite or perlite and garden soil. This is done in early March so that they will be ready for the market when we feel that urge in early spring to get out of doors and do some gardening. Containerized roses usually are somewhat more expensive than the boxed roses because of the extra labor required for the garden center.
      If you order from a catalog, be prepared to receive your plants bare rooted in a plastic bag with minimal material to keep the rose plant/s moist. If you have never purchased bare rooted roses, there is nothing to fear because handling and planting is not difficult. (See Planting below) By ordering bare rooted plants your selection is infinitely better and the price will be significantly less than you would pay for garden center varieties of like quality.
      Should you order from a catalog, get your order in early to be assured of receiving the variety you wish. Late orders are sometimes substituted for--especially if you do not specify on your order, "No Substitutions." Another reason for early ordering is that the quality probably will be better.
      If you purchase from a garden center such as Watsons', Frank's, or Valley View, plan to get there early (Mid-March) when the selection is best. Pick a plant with at least four substantial canes with evidence of viable bud-eyes where this years' growth will start. There may be some leafing out, depending on weather conditions and when you purchase your rose/s. You are looking for a rose graded #1.
      The grading for roses is not evident on the name tag or container; therefore, you should know the acceptable standards for the various grades.

• Grade #1: This is the top grade. The plant will have three or more healthy canes each about 3/8-inch thick projecting from the bud union (knob at base of the plant). These are the best specimens and will generally grow faster and produce more blooms the first year.
• Grade #1 1/2: The plant will have two or more canes which are less than 3/8-inch thick. They take longer to develop and require more attention.
• Grade #2: The plants are underdeveloped with only one or two thin canes. They would be recommended only for landscape effect where many plants are used.

     The best source I have found in this area is Carroll Gardens in Westminster. Their variety exceeds most, if not all, nurseries and garden centers in this area. Roses are available bare rooted (Early March) or containerized (May, on). Call them for a catalog or make inquiries as to a special rose you have been seeking. They carry modern and some heritage roses and have a very fine selection of climbing roses. They will also order a special rose for you if you contact them before their order is placed in August. Carroll Gardens handles roses from a number of nurseries although they specialize in Weeks Roses. They are located at 444 East Main Street in Westminster, MD, and can be reached on (301) 848-5422 or from the Baltimore area on 876-7336. Heritage roses can be obtained from The Heritage Rosarium, 211 Haviland Road, Brookeville, MD, 20833, (301) 774 2806, Nick Weber.
      Just a word on where to find a rose you have thought about for a long time and cannot find in any of the catalogs that come your way. The very best source of information on where to find a specific rose is Bev Dobson's Combined Rose List which lists alphabetically about 7,000 roses in commerce and the nurseries where each can be found, together with addresses and phone numbers. Peter Harkness, in his newest book (1988), Modern Garden Roses, refers to Bev's annual publication as "A valuable service to the world of roses..."
      Should you have need of a source for one or two roses only, contact Al Ford (fordrose@comcast.net) and he will look them up for you.
      If the ground is not ready for planting when your bare root roses arrive or you bring them home from the nursery, you should heal the plants in, meaning you should dig a trench into which plants are placed and then covered with soil until your bed or hole is prepared and the weather conducive to a good start. Containerized roses may be kept in a garage or some other sheltered area until they are planted. In either case, bare root or containerized roses, the soil should be kept moist.

     For spring planting of roses it is best to have prepared the bed or hole last fall so that the soil has had time to compact, thus removing air spaces, and little time is lost in getting the new plant off to a good start. It is recognized, however, that many of us bring home plants not knowing precisely where we will use them and as a consequence must first prepare the location and then plant the newcomer.
      There are a variety of commonly accepted methods of planting a rose which differ only slightly in detail. The method shown at the top of Page 5, is reproduced from the AARS publication, "Discover The Pleasure of Roses."
      Recently, in this area, some people have begun to think that the traditional method of planting encourages root growth downward when the natural tendency for root growth is generally outward, closer to the ground surface. The January, 1990, issue of the Potomac Rose Society Newsletter carries an article on the point as well as an earlier article in the August, 1989, Colonial Courier. The limited experimentations suggests that placing the roots of bare rooted plants more horizontally, nearer the ground surface, rather than encouraging them downward around the center-mound, results in more vigorous plant growth and bloom production. I have thought, primarily because of the way roses are planted in England, that we put too much emphasis on depth of planting, knowing all the while that feeder roots are found near the surface. It is interest to note the following from the handbook, How To Grow Roses,

"The size of the hole depends on the size of the roots and after inspecting the plant...one soon gets to know roughly how much to dig. Most dig too deep a hole, thinking the roots must go straight down. This is wrong. The pliable roots are much better sitting horizontally at the bottom of the hole. Therefore most roses need a hole only about 7 inches (18cm) deep." (How To Grow Roses, A Handbook of the Royal National Rose Society, 1980, prepared by Jack Harkness.)

Two comments: first, such a statement presupposes that the rose is being planted in a prepared bed and that below "7 inches" there is something more favorable than solid clay. Second, for what it's worth, I recommend and practice planting roses as their bare root structure would suggest without forcing them out nor down in an unnatural and strained configuration.
      If the rose holes have not been prepared, start the process by removing the soil from an 18" X 18" hole. If your subsoil is clay, as in most parts of this area, I would recommend screening it through a 1/4 X 1/4-inch mesh screen to remove stones and clumps. The screened clay should be mixed with gypsum which lightens it and keeps the clay particles separate and workable.
      To the clay, which will represent 1/3 of the material to be returned to the hole, add an equal amount by volume of compost, peat moss, well-rotted manure or other organic material and an equal amount of a good grade of top soil. The resulting mixture is then 1/3 each of clay particles, organic material, and good top soil. The parts should be mixed together well in a wheelbarrow or other suitable container. To this mixture I add three 1 pound coffee cans of perlite, which aids in keeping the mixture loose and also aids in water retention. I then add a generous cup of superphosphate (0-44-0 or equivalent). The perlite and superphosphate are mixed thoroughly throughout the other material.
       This mixture is placed into the hole and watered well. Since there is extra material, simply mound over the hole as there will be considerable settling. It would be best to wait 3 to 4 weeks before planting; however, should you not have that much time, planting can proceed provided special care is taken to remove air spaces when the rose is planted. Roots growing into air spaces will dry out and die, affecting the growth of the entire plant.
      Should you be replacing a plant which is to be discarded because of poor performance or being moved to another location, the question arises as to whether the previous used soil should be removed from the hole or not. There are two schools of thought, one suggesting it is not necessary if the previous plant has done well; the other suggests that the soil should be replaced to be used somewhere else in the garden but not for roses. I agree with the latter approach and was interested in a comment Peter Harkness made on the subject: "One last word on soil has to do with ground that has grown roses for several years. If you remove them and plant new roses, the newcomers often will not thrive. Why this should be so is something of a mystery. The solution is to change the soil, or plant somewhere else or clear the bed and grow another type of plant before trying roses there again. I have read that plants of the marigold family are useful cleansers of `rose sick' soil." (Peter Harkness: Modern Garden Roses, 1988, The Globe Pequot Press, Chester, Connecticut.)

     This subject has been covered a number of times in the MRS Newsletter. The references are: Spring Pruning Hints,(Mar-Apr,1989,p.2); Pruning Floribundas, Grandifloras and Hybrid Teas, (Jan-Fed,1988,p.7); Pruning Miniatures, (Jan-Feb,1988,p.9); Pruning Rosebushes (Climbers, Ramblers, Shrub Roses and Old Garden Roses) (Jan-Feb, 1988,p.6); Pruning Rose Bushes (Fall/Winter),(Nov-Dec,1987,p.4).
      For our newer members, I will review some of the points made before and will add a few comments which may be of interest. From the outset, it should be recognized that correct pruning in your garden is a subject learned over time and should vary by your intended accomplishments i.e. garden display, cut flowers for home or gifts, or exhibition. Pruning should vary also by the classification of rose being pruned and sometimes by the variety of rose within a classification.
      Too many manuals and instructions on pruning provide only cursory treatment to correct pruning. Therefore, beginners will want to learn the fundamentals and then refine their techniques by observation of results of their own pruning and further investigation in the literature.
      This past fall or early winter you should have done some pruning as a part of your winter protection program. Such pruning is minimal and consists of reducing the length of the canes to about three feet simply to keep them from whipping around in the fall and winter winds, thus loosening the soil around the crown and exposing it to the drying winds which is the primary reason for the loss of rose bushes over the winter. This type of pruning will be covered in more detail in our Sept-Oct, 1990, Newsletter.
      Spring pruning, which for this area, should be done at approximately the time the forsythia blooms, (late March and early April) is the most severe pruning done during the year. The why of Spring pruning is explained in terms of removing dead, diseased or damaged growth and any immature growth which would interfere or impede current years' more productive growth in terms of plant vigor and flower production.
      Unlike a tree, a rose bush does not grow by producing shoots which increase in size every year, but rather, a rose cane grows and produces flowers for only a few years, after which the upper portion becomes exhausted. New canes appear from the bud union or crown of budded plants and grows upward and becomes the source of new flowers. The old canes if not attended to will die back to the bud union. A rose bush left unpruned becomes a tangled and shapeless mass of live and dead wood resulting in a less vigorous plant with poorer quality blooms. The purpose of pruning, then, is to get rid of dead and old wood each year to encourage the development of strong and healthy canes.
      There are three general types or pruning of rose bushes, Hard, Moderate and Light. These are illustrated in the diagram on Page 7. Bear in mind that there are special recommendations for climbers, ramblers and old garden roses.

• Hard Pruning: The canes are cut back to about 5 inches leaving 2 or 3 buds each on the pruned canes. This type of pruning is recommended for newly planted bushes because the primary concern is to create good root growth.
        It is also recommended for those plants grown primarily for the production of exhibition blooms, although there is evidence that this point is overemphasized. This method of pruning is also encouraged for very weak growing Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras and as an aid in rejuvenating neglected roses. Sometimes the results of pruning after a severe winter will require hard pruning to locate healthy growth. This method should not be used on Floribundas.
• Moderate Pruning: The canes are cut back to about half their length. Weaker canes should be cut back further. This method is recommended for nearly all established Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras and Floribundas, but some old canes may require hard pruning, in fact, it is desirable for some canes of Floribundas to be hard pruned to encourage a longer period of continuous bloom. This is the best method for garden display of Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras.
• Light Pruning: Canes are cut back to two-thirds of their length (1/3rd pruned). This means that after removal of dead wood, the remaining canes are only lightly trimmed. This method is not normally recommended because it produces tall spindly bushes which bear flowers early but of poorer quality. It is recommended for very vigorous Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras, i.e. `Peace" and `Queen Elizabeth".

      The aim of pruning is to obtain an urn-shaped, open-centered bush. The steps involved are as follows:

1. Be certain before you begin that your pruning tools are all clean and sharp. This is best accomplished when you put them away in the winter.
2. Cut out completely (to the crown) all dead canes and remove parts which are diseased, damaged or have suffered winter-kill.
3. Cut out all soft or frozen wood. Make a trial cut and examine the pith, the soft substance in the center of canes and stems. The pith may be brown, gray or blackish in color instead of a healthy white. If the pith is not white, cut down lower until it is reached. Some growers will accept a light brown color in the pith with the expectation that subsequent growth will strengthen the cane.
4. Cut out all very thin stems and laterals growing into the center of the bush. Remove those branches which rub against another. Sometimes canes or branches growing too close together can be encouraged to separate by placing a wedge of a cut cane between then.
5. Select the canes to be preserved and decide which of the three methods you intend to use on the particular bush. Each cut you make should start 1/4 inch above a bud which points outward, away from the center of the plant. The cut should be at a 45° angle sloping downward.(A diagram of the proper method appeared on Page 8 of the Jan-Feb, 1988 Newsletter.) The number of canes selected is usually 3 to 6; however, more may be left if the plant can support them, which is best determined by last years' growth and performance.
6. Examine the bush for suckers (growth from below the crown on budded roses) and remove by wrenching out at the base. It will be necessary to remove some soil to accomplish this.
7. Seal the cuts with shellac, Elmer's Glue or a mixture of Bordeaux compound and linseed oil, The yellow, Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Glue is less pervious to water than the white and is therefore preferred.
8. Clean up all pruned material, including leaves, from around the plant and discard. Any material left encourages disease and rose pests.

Guidelines for other types of roses are presented here.

• RAMBLERS: Newly planted ramblers should be cut back to 2-3 feet if this has not been done by the nursery. No further pruning is desired until autumn at which time some canes are removed at ground level and lateral branches are reduced to 3 inches.
• CLIMBERS: Do not prune newly planted climbers except to remove dead tips. If the climber is a Hybrid Tea or Floribunda sport, pruning of newly planted specimens may result in their reverting to bush form. Established climbers require very little pruning except to remove dead wood. Withered parts should be removed in the spring and lateral branches reduced to about 3 inches.
• MINIATURES: The recommendations for miniatures also apply to Polyanthas and Shrub Roses. No pruning is required at time of planting in the spring. Established plants require very little pruning except to remove dead wood and trim the plant to shape. Some exhibitors of Miniatures prune them much as they would a Hybrid Tea. This is a meticulous process and not generally recommended.
• OLD GARDEN ROSES: Reference here is to the Albas, Damasks, Centifolias, Musks, Chinas, Rugosas etc. In the spring the only pruning recommended is to remove the dead wood not cleared out in the fall or that which has occurred since last year. Pruning of the Heritage or Old Garden Roses should occur after the flowering is over for the one-bloom per year types and as the plant nears dormancy. This subject was covered in more detail in the Sept-Oct, 1990 issue of the Newsletter.

     It is important that newly planted roses not be fertilized with a general all-purpose fertilizer, like 10-10-10, at the time of planting. Soluble fertilizers next to roots will burn them and will defeat the early production of a good feeder root system. I do mix a cup of superphosphate with the soil mixture to be used in planting and I'm aware that some growers will put a handful of bonemeal in the bottom of the hole and others use a variety of chemicals. Until the grower has had more experience, I would suggest planting without adding fertilizer and, in this area, delaying the first fertilizing until approximately April 15, when new growth is apparent.
      Established bushes should be fertilized approximately April 15, with a fertilizer balanced for Nitrogen (N), Phosphates (P2O5) and Potash (K2O). Nitrogen stimulates the growth of leaves and canes and increases the size of the bush. Phosphate stimulates the growth of roots, canes and stems and speeds up flowering. Potash stimulates the production of top quality blooms and improves the drought and disease resistance of the plant. A good balanced fertilizer with these elements is 10-10-10. Another popular spring fertilizer is Osmocote which is a controlled release fertilizer that releases nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium depending on soil temperature. The 18-6-12 (8 to 9 month term) formulation is recommended for this area. Osmocote is also available with trace elements added in a product with the name of Sierra 17-6-10 Plus Minors Controlled Release Fertilizer. If you wish to know more about this product, send a SASE to Al Ford.