Roses are among the most popular, distinctive flowers and, indeed, one of the oldest cultivated ornamental. According to an Internet source, there are over 2000 known Rose varieties of lovely blooms and breathtaking fragrance.

Agro Grace, in association with our partners, Jackson & Perkins, brings to our Jamaican Roses lovers an exotic collection of lovely blooms and fragranced roses in the form of Groundcovers, Bareroot Miniatures, Poly Bag Bush, Climbers, Shrub, Hedge, and Tree roses packaged in Poly bags.

Roses grow in a number of habitats, Bush Roses grow upright, Climbing Roses have long arching canes that actively climb on their own, Tree Roses are grafted on to sturdy, central trunks, and Groundcovers are low plants that vine along the ground.

Planting roses is not complicated as long as you have some good tips on what is required to successfully plant and maintain roses. Very important are the location, soil, planting, watering and fertilizing, treatments and overall caring of your roses.

Site

Rose beds should be sited in the open where it is well lit in the morning and is sunlit for at least 6 hours a day. The beds must be some distance from walls, shrubs and trees and in areas where the plants are not constantly exposed to direct gusts of winds that would disturb and weaken root system.

Soil

Roses need good drainage, rich moisture holding soil to do well. In growing roses in excessively light, porous soil, add topsoil and coir dust to create body and increase the water holding capacity of the soil. In clay and waterlogged location beds must be raised at least 6 inches.

Pre-planting care

When roses arrive saturate them. Bareroot roses should be opened and roots spread in clean water and soaked overnight. Some experts recommend that a little of an all-purpose fertilizer like Jack’s Classic or NutriGro can be added to water prepared for soaking roots.

Planting

With site selected, strip much of the topsoil (1 ft if possible), and remove to one side. Fork the under soil (about 1 ft.) remove all roots and course stones. Incorporate leaves and straw into the under soil and if drainage soil is necessary it can be added at this time. Add new, prepared topsoil and well rotted manure or compost at a ratio of 4 unit topsoil to 1 unit of manure or compost. Correctly, this should have been done some 6 weeks before buying roses.

• Remove roses from poly bags with sawdust around the roots.
• Trim or remove broken roots
• Place plant in the centre of the prepared hole, gently loosening planting medium
• Return soil a shovel at a time, into the hole, pressing firmly after each deposit so as to exclude formation of air pockets in the soil.
• Firmly level soil around the plant and saturate. Do not allow soil to dry out.

In hot times it may be necessary to provide some amount of shade for 7-10 days.

Watering

 

Roses require more water than most other landscape plantings, especially during the first year as the plant is getting its roots established. The best way to water your roses is with flood or drip irrigation as it concentrates the water at the root zone where it is needed, and keeps the foliage dry to minimize disease problems.

A good, thick layer of organic mulch will help conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and encourage healthy root growth. As the mulch breaks down, it will also add organic matter to the soil.

Fertilizing

Roses are heavy feeders, and will benefit from a steady supply of N.P.K (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). These nutrients can be provided with a treatment of Jack’s Classic or NutriGro fertilizers. In most cases, regular applications of compost, rotted manure will provide roses with much of the nutrients they need.

At early bloom, remember,

The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love
O, the red rose is a falcon
And the white rose is a dove
- John Boyle O’Reilly