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| Photo Credit: Linnea Thornton |
| A few rose-care basics can keep your plants healthy. |
The increased availability of cold-hardy, disease-resistant roses has put the lie to the image of the rose being the fragile weak sister of the plant palette. And while you may want to plant some of the more resilient types (such as Rugosas and Gallicas), there’s no reason to limit your preferences to the tougher relatives among the Rosa genus. By learning a few rose-care basics, you can maintain healthy plants and enjoy years of fragrant blooming, no matter what variety you choose.
For most roses, it’s important that you properly prepare your rose bed before planting. Most roses like full sun, so select your location appropriately. The plants also prefer well-drained soil that’s high in organic matter, and they need good air circulation (to help prevent mildew and other diseases). Mix a couple inches of compost into your soil before planting. Then after planting, water so roots don’t dry out – but avoid getting leaves wet. Mulching helps retain moisture in the ground; some recommended mulches are dry grass clippings, straw, bark or wood chips. Given that winter will soon be upon us, you should also start preparing your roses for the colder weather. There are several methods of overwintering roses in areas where the ground freezes.
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