In June and July everything is coming up roses. I am amazed at the advances in rose varieties the past 5 to 10 years….their floriforus nature, ease of care and hardiness. I’m referring to “shrub roses” or “own root roses”. Some like “Wing Ding” roses look more like red daisies than roses. Own root or shrub roses grow on their own root as opposed to being grafted at the base. This makes the plants more carefree, winter hardy and abundant in bloom in the summer months.
This year I have a backyard wedding planned for the end of June. My shrub roses were loaded with blooms the first week of June. I decided that to ensure blooms in late June when I wanted them, I would chop off all the flowers and feed the plants. It was painful….but it worked! Even though these roses can be treated as “self-cleaning” I pruned them to force a flush of flowers right about the time I needed them. The key is feeding with a good quality fertilizer like Rose Tone because remember roses are heavy feeders when they’re working so hard to please you!
With a good sunny spot (at least half day of sun), some soil preparation (organic material or humus) added to the parent soil and feeding anyone can add an explosion of color with “Shrub or “Own Root Roses” in their yard!
