Your guide to growing glorious roses

Sunset, Feb, 1998 by Jim McCausland

Beautiful roses win hearts. Gardeners, lovers, photographers, and flower breeders are all smitten by shapely buds that open into flawless, perfectly formed blooms. So it's no wonder that rose growing has flowered into such a high art, with new varieties becoming the toast of the rose world every year.

While roses reign as the West's most popular cut flowers, for some gardeners, growing them means just one thing - trouble. But you don't need an arsenal of sprays, dusts, and tools to grow them successfully. If you follow the directions developed by Sunset and other rosarians over the years, you, too, can grow them well.

Roses do make a few demands, though, and better care always translates into more attractive flowers and healthier foliage. Just remember the four basics: Buy plump, healthy bare-root plants in winter. Plant in good soil, following guidelines on page 86. Water and feed regularly. Prune properly.

Success starts with choosing an adaptable, trouble-free variety. The introduction of our Centennial rose, 'Sunset Celebration', adds to the selection of award-winning performers. This beauty is disease-resistant, and hardy enough to handle just about any climate. It makes a handsome addition to the garden, whether you grow it singly or among other flowering perennials, in garden beds or containers.

Rose & perennial partnerships

* Roses are party animals. When surrounded by agreeable companions, they take on a special glow they don't exhibit when grown alone. Take the example pictured in photo above right. The cool blue spikes of 'Indigo Spires' salvia tickling the roses' ribs make the apricot blossoms appear even warmer.

Good rose companions need to be more than visually compatible, however. They need to tolerate the roses' regular irrigation and feeding, but they shouldn't compete for them. That rules out plants programmed for summer dormancy like California ceanothus, as well as water-siphoners like willows. Plants with aggressive root systems like mint or red valerian (Centranthus ruber) should also be avoided. And eliminate plants that attract diseases you're trying to keep off your roses.

Pictured above left are two good rose companions, campanula and Santa Barbara daisy. Other perfect perennials to pair with roses: asters, bearded irises, catmint (Nepeta faassenii), delphiniums, feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium), foxglove (Digitalis), garden penstemon (P. gloxinioides), nicotiana, phlox, scabiosa, Shasta daisy, true geraniums, verbena, and yarrow (Achillea).

How to plant a bare-root rose

1 SOAK THE ROSE in a bucket of water. Dig a hole 2 feet wide, 1 1/2 feet deep. Make a firm cone of soil in the hole.

2 SPREAD THE ROOTS over the soil cone. Cut back long roots so they fit without bending.

3 SET THE PLANT so the bud union (graft) is just above the soil level, or just below it if temperatures will drop to 10 [degrees]. Use a shovel handle to gauge soil level.

4 PULL BACKFILL into the hole, firming it over the roots with your hands to stabilize the plant.

5 SLOWLY FILL the hole with water to soak and settle the soil, then finish backfilling.

6 MILD CLIMATES: When growing season begins, make a ridge of soil around the hole to form a watering basin.

COLD CLIMATES: Protect the rose from cold or drying wind by partly covering the plant with soil as shown. After leaves emerge, shape the soil into a basin.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

* BLACK SPOT

Problem: Small, fringed, black-to-brown spots on leaves come first, then leaves yellow and drop off. Symptoms of this fungus disease start at the bottom of the plant, then work their way up. Common in warm, humid weather.

Solution: Remove and discard infected leaves. To reduce infection, try a baking soda-oil spray (mix 2 teaspoons baking soda and 2 teaspoons summer oil in a gallon of water). Use often to protect new growth.

* POWDERY MILDEW

Problem: Patches of white fungal filaments and spores disfigure leaves, buds, and stems. Thrives in humid air but - unlike other rose diseases - needs dry foliage to become established.

Solution: Overhead watering (in the early morning) may wash off fungal spores and reduce infection. Baking soda-oil sprays can also be effective (see black spot). For the worst cases, spray with a fungicide such as triforine or benomyl.

* RUST

Problem: Small rust-colored spots form on leaf undersides. Leaf tops show yellow mottling; in advanced cases, leaves yellow and drop. Warm days, cool nights, and moisture encourage this fungus disease, which is spread by spores.

Solution: Keep fallen leaves picked up, and during winter, pick off any rust-infected leaves that remain on the plant. During the growing season, spray foliage with a wettable sulfur, or a fungicide such as triforine.

* APHIDS

Problem: Small green, red, pink, or black oval insects cluster on new leaves, leaf undersides, and buds, distorting them by sucking plant juices.

Solution: If infestations are light, do nothing; beneficial insects such as ladybugs will feed on them. For heavier infestations, dislodge the pests with a strong spray of water from a hose, or spray with insecticidal soap.