Care and Cultivation of your special rose

Your rose is a containerised plant, that means it will live in the pot happily until the soil conditions are right to plant it. Choose an open day when the soil is not frozen and can be worked easily.

The site chosen to grow you rose is important.

Roses need plenty of sunshine to produce quality flowers. Try and avoid "frost pockets", roses do not do very well in exposed sites, yet they do like good circulation away from overhanging shrubs and trees.
Avoid a site that has grown roses for ten years or more, because "soil sickness" is likely to affect new plantings. A free draining soil is ideal to avoid water logging in wet weather; double digging the topsoil and the incorporation of bulky, well rotted manure will help. A raised bed is often the simplest answer when the soil is shallow or heavy, cold clay.

Planting

First dig a hole which is at least six inches wider and thee inches deeper than the container. On the bottom of the hole put a layer, about two inches deep, of peat/sand mix. The level of the container soil should be level with the surrounding soil. Place the container in the hole and carefully slit it down one side to make it easy to remove without disturbing the root ball. Fill the remaining space with a mixture of peat (coir)/soil/grit to which half a handful of bone meal has been added. Firm down and water generously. The rose can then be mulched with bark, cocoa shell or wood chips, this will help suppress the weeds and retain moisture levels in the planting area. Keep the root zone area moist until the plant has established itself.

Feeding

Roses need feeding with a specific rose feed that has been formulated especially for them. Chempak Rose feed and Toprose are two such feeds.
As the leaves start to open in springtime add 1oz of granular fertilizer to the topsoils around the plant and water in.
At the end of June repeat the process, being sure to water in well.
Many rose growers will also use a balanced foliar feed every two weeks during the two main feeds.

Pest and disease control

Every season brings different problems depending on the weather conditions. It is often the best course of action to be prepared for the most likely problems by starting a routine, three-spray programme in May, June and September that will act against both pests and diseases. There are preparations that have been created by chemical companies for just this purpose and are all available from your usual suppliers. Please read the instructions on the label carefully-and follow them to the letter.
Specific disease problems, whether fungal, bacterial or viral, are often highlighted in the media and control solutions suggested.