Rosa

Cultivation: Roses are generally frost-hardy, vigorous plants with a great zest for life. However, they do have some climatic and soil preferences, and though prone to a few pests and diseases these problems are lessened or prevented with the right planning and cultivation. Roses prefer a temperate climate and most do best with at least 2 months of winter chilling. They do not actually need exposure to frost, just enough prolonged cold to induce dormancy and proper bud formation. However, light to moderate frosts are useful for killing off any overwintering pests. Roses are adaptable: they can be planted in beds of roses alone or blended into the overall garden design, and a few can even be left to run wild. The miniatures and smaller types mix well with shrubs, perennials and annuals and make marvellous informal hedges along pathways or edging larger beds. Use ground cover roses to carpet sloping ground or for cascading over retaining walls. Climbers can be used on fences, for covering unsightly sheds or old trees and for growing over archways or entrances to provide a fragrant greeting for visitors. Small shrub roses, miniature climbers and trailers grow well in containers provided they are regularly fed and do not dry out.

Siting and planting: Roses require at least half-day sun, good ventilation without being exposed to strong winds; slightly acid, moisture-retentive yet well-drained soil; and limited competition from large shrubs and trees. Shade leads to poor flowering, rank growth and fungal problems. Strong winds damage the foliage and flowers and may break the branches, while poor ventilation is sure to encourage the spread of fungal diseases. Ideally the site should be prepared well in advance, beginning by planning their layout: large bushes need more width than small, climbers need something to climb and large growers should not overshadow smaller plants. Allow easy access for pruning and spraying. As a rule a bush rose will spread to at least two-thirds its height. Before planting, trim any damaged stems or roots. Examine the main stem near the bud union for a color change that indicates the level at which it was planted in the field, then plant the bush at the same level in the garden. Dig a hole large enough to ensure there is a good depth and spread of loosened soil so the root system can quickly develop. Position the plant, spread its roots, add a light dusting of mild fertilizer and check the depth, then back fill by gently firming the soil into place. Stake standards and tall bushes to prevent damage from wind, positioning the stake before refilling the hole so that the roots are not inadvertently damaged by driving the stake through them. After planting, water and mulch around the new rose.

Pruning: Prune to encourage new growth, rejuvenate plants, improve their shape and to enable light to penetrate to the center of the bush to promote even growth. Hard pruning tends to promote strong stems with fewer but better blooms, while leaving longer stems promotes dense bushy growth with many but smaller blooms. Despite the tradition of pruning to an outward facing bud to create an open vase-shaped bush, recent research suggests that roses will thrive with a far more casual approach to pruning. Just removing the old or damaged wood and trimming to shape should be sufficient. Roses are normally pruned when dormant in winter, although there is no reason why they should not be trimmed and thinned in summer, this in fact being the best option for small roses with masses of fine twiggy stems where careful trimming is impractical.

Pests and diseases: Good ventilation, avoiding overcrowding and providing the right growing conditions will all help to prevent problems with pests and diseases. Should problems occur, the key is early control. Pests such as aphids, thrips and mites are relatively easily controlled, however it is fungal diseases that are more likely to cause lasting damage than insects. Mildews and black spot lead to premature foliage drop and general debilitation. Rust spreads rapidly, can cause almost total defoliation if allowed to take hold, and may be carried over to the following season. Even with the best of care, mild cases of these diseases will occur and spraying may be unavoidable.

Propagation: Most hybrid roses are budded onto vigorous, disease-resistant, non-suckering rootstocks. Although roses can also be grown from cuttings, some modern varieties do not grow well on their own roots and suckering varieties become nuisances. Propagation from seed is generally restricted to species or raising new hybrids. The seed germinates well but it must be stratified for 8 to 12 weeks before sowing.

Botanica Plus

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EveryRose.com - A handy data base site with a listing for 4000 roses.

Find My Roses - Best of the net A new and most promising data base for roses. Enter a rose name and search comes up with a supplier.

IBM Patent Server - Here's a handy site to check out patented roses over a quarter of a century. A plus feature is the listing of the parent plants.

RosaFile - A new and  interesting data base for helping you select roses for your garden, from modern, to old and species.

The Ortho Encyclopedia of Roses - A comprehensive listing of roses and varieties complete with pictures.

The Rose Finder - A good search site for finding roses by color, hardiness, disease resistance etc.

Timeless Roses - Best of the Net A new and most promising site with a constantly expanding data base with pictures of roses new and old.

US Patent Database - The US government  searchable database where you can get the whole patent application, which describes the rose varieties in minute detail.