The rose department has permanently closed as of 2024.

Suggested Companion Plants
Roses look lovely contrasted with tall spiky blooms in deep blue or purple, and lower mounding plants that disguise their sometimes bare and thorny ankles. Look for blooms and foliage of smaller scale or different shape and color.

Herbs: Sage is lovely tucked in with deep crimson roses, and thyme creates a lovely, fragrant green carpet. Or try Dill, Fennel, Borage, or Lavender.

Perennials: Clematis and Nepeta are the classics. Or try Veronica, Artemisia, Liatris, Salvia, or Lupine.

How To Plant Your New Roses
~ Dig a hole twice as wide as container & slightly deeper. The bud union or crown of the plant should sit 3-4” below soil surface.
~ Remove the plant from the container with care to avoid breaking the root ball. Or, plant as for first-year plants, described below.
~ Position the plant in the hole and fill with soil that has been amended with plenty of organic matter, such as homemade or purchased compost or Gardener’s Soil Conditioner. Run the garden hose in the hole as you fill it with soil, to encourage the soil to settle in around the roots of your rose and avoid air pockets.
~ Mulch the roses generously with organic mulch such as Gardener’s Soil Conditioner or shredded hardwood. This will protect your roses from temperature swings, drought, and weeds, while providing a nice clean backdrop to show off your new sweeties.
~ Many gardeners and grandparents swear by a banana peel tossed in the planting hole under the root ball, and we cannot argue with them. Besides, that banana will give you energy for digging world-class holes for your roses.
~ First-year Gethsemane Roses require very careful planting, as the root mass will not be well established. Using a sharp utility knife, cut the bottom off the pot, place the pot in the hole using the bottom to hold in the soil, remove pot bottom. Begin to fill the hole with soil, then slice up the side of the pot to remove it. This way the soil is supported and baby roots will not be damaged!
~ Keep the picture tag and this guide for future reference! Loosen any small plastic or metal i.d. tags, but leave them on the plant.
Follow same directions for early season peat pot roses; always remove peat pot from root ball. (Like peeling a thorny clementine!)

Watering your roses
~ Roses need 1 to 2 inches of water weekly, either from rainfall or a hose.
~ Container roses should be checked frequently, especially in summer heat. (We’ve watered twice in one day when it’s hot.)
~ Soak so soil is wet 5 or 6 inches below the surface.
~ It is best to water your roses at the base and before noon as wet leaves can encourage diseases.
~ Always water at soil level, never from above or with a sprinkler. Use drip irrigation for maximum water efficiency.

Feeding Your Roses
~ Roses should be fed four times a season. Fertilize May 1 as your rose leaves out. Fertilize again June 1, as your rose is budding up; this is when she takes in the most nutrients. Feed again on July 1 and August 1. Do not feed roses in the fall, except maybe a little potash or Langbeinite, to help them through the winter.
~ Organic-based fertilizers like Rose-Tone or Dr. Earth Organic Rose Food are good choices.
~ You may wish to supplement with liquid food between regular feedings, especially for roses in containers. Use Fish Emulsion or one of Jack’s blue formulas. Some potash in the fall may help your rose get through the winter, sort of like antifreeze in your car.
~ Every year, add new compost to the soil around your rose, then give it a fresh layer of mulch.

Spring Pruning
~ Hard pruning generally needs to be done in early spring, as new growth is starting. The blooming of forsythia is a good signal!
~ Remove any dead or diseased wood, canes that cross or rub, and suckers growing from below the bud union; cut out at ground level or just below their point of origin.
~ Make cuts straight across, ¼” above a vigorous outward-facing bud. Seal cuts with household glue to keep out evil cane borers.
~ Prune your roses *lightly* for the first 2 years to allow them to establish!

Summer Maintenance Deadheading
~ Remove blooms as they fade to encourage new growth and flowering. Make a straight cut ¼ inch above a sturdy, out-facing leaf.
~ Do not be afraid to cut back into the plant, especially with Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras. Deadheading stimulates new growth at the node just below the cut.
~ Stop deadheading after September 1 to encourage your rose to go dormant before cold weather strikes.
~ Stop deadheading in mid summer if you want your rose to produce attractive hips, especially on Rugosa roses.
~ Be sure to keep your rose well watered until established, for the first year.
~ Do not prune heavily until the third season. Protect your roses during the winter (see next page).
~ Container roses require extra waterings, feedings, and protection.

Disease and Insect Control:
~ Plant disease-resistant varieties. If possible, choose a site with eastern exposure so the morning sun will dry the foliage.
~ Sanitation is your best defense against fungal disease! In early spring, clean up and throw away all dead leaves. Add new compost,
and a new layer of mulch. This will keep fungal spores from bouncing back onto the plant during watering or rain.
~ Water in the morning, at ground level, taking care not to wet the foliage of the plant. Blackspot infects new leaves as they unfurl, when the leaves are wet for 7 continuous hours. Do not use an overhead sprinkler on your roses!
~ For Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, English Roses, and Climbers, begin a spray program in early spring, before any signs of disease are present. Blackspot infects new leaves as they emerge. By the time you see it, the plant has been infected for a while.
~ Use a fungicide listed for blackspot, powdery mildew, and rust. Gethsemane has several options, both chemical and organic.
~ Organic products such as Organicide are showing promise in the prevention of fungal diseases of roses. Chemical and sulfur based products are also effective. Avoid copper, please! Always use garden chemicals according to package directions.
~ Powdery Mildew hits when the air is humid and the plant’s roots are dry. To prevent, keep your ladies well watered in hot humid weather. If affected, give your rose a head-to-toe cold morning shower, then a spray of one part skim milk to 9 parts water. (Yes.)
~ Never spray in bright hot sun, or when the temperature goes over 80 degrees. Never spray Rugosa roses with oil-based products.
~ Beneficial insects such as ladybugs or praying mantis are very effective against pests like aphids and spider mites.
~ Japanese Beetles: Forget about traps. Hand-pick into container of soapy water or wide-mouth beverage container, or get a kid to do it for you. Don’t squash them, no matter how satisfying. More beetles will be attracted to the pheromone smell! Pyrethrin based sprays are also effective. Avoid systemic insecticides, which may contribute to Colony Collapse Disorder in bees. We’ve learned that birds love to eat Japanese Beetles! Invite them to your yard with a birdfeeder, then leave some dead beetles on a surface nearby. They’ll soon develop a taste for them! Ha!