Roses CAN be successfully grown in Denver and most of Colorado, and with a few simple tips, you can have glorious roses in your garden all season long. Have you visited City Floral's Rose house? Starting right about Mother's Day, you will find one of the best selection of two year old roses in all of Denver, and experienced staff to assist in picking right roses for your garden.
(shown : "Peace", a hybrid tea rose.)
This step is crucial to the success of your rose garden and the longevity of your plants. Spread 4-6” of organic matter: peat moss and compost or aged manure over the planting area. Incorporate into the soil to a depth of 8-12”.
Dig a hole slightly deeper and and twice as wide as the pot your rose hush comes in. Sprinkle small amount of bone meal or super phosphate in the bottom of the hole and stir with a trowel to distribute into the soil evenly. Remove rose from pot and place in hole with the graft 2” below the level of the surrounding soil (see illustration). This is a very important step for Colorado rose growers (and contrary to the planting directions on the tag). Planting deep helps prevent the rose from dehydrating in the warm months and freezing in the cold months.
Roses benefit from more peat moss mixed with the soil in the planting hole than most plants —roughly l/3 peat moss to 2/3 soil. Fill hole halfway with soil/peat moss mixture, packing down loosely. Fill hole with water, allow to drain. Fill remainder of hole with soil/peat moss and water again thoroughly Create a saucer with surrounding soil to help retain water around the base of the plant. Pine bark mulch is another good idea. It keeps the soil moist and cool and the acidity of the pine bark is also beneficial.
Water! Roses prefer to be kept evenly moist throughout the growing season. Water your new roses deeply about 2-3 times a week during their first growing season. Once plants are estb1ished. Deep watering once a week should be sufficient. Roses do best when watered early in the day Watering at ground level (not from overhead sprinklers) will keep foliage dry and help prevent problems like mildew, black spot and rust. Soaker hoses are a good solution.
Because fertilizers are washed away by the frequent watering sometimes required in our area, roses in the Rocky Mountain region benefit from regular fertilization. Fertilizers created specifically for roses will give you the best results. Fertilome’s Systemic Rose Food is an excellent choice. In addition to being a fertilizer, it also contains a systemic insecticide. Fertilize new plants at planting time, then once a month through August. Begin fertilizing established roses in early April and once a month thereafter through August.
In the fall, before the snow, prune roses back slightly to prevent a heavy snowfall from breaking the canes. In early April, when new growth appears, remove any dead wood and dry foliage. During the growing season, you can control the height of your rose bush by where you cut off the flowers. Refer to your favorite rose gardening reference books for additional information.
In the fall, mound soil from another part of the garden around the base of the rose for additional protection from the cold. Although roses are dormant, they still require moisture. Thoroughly water your roses once a month when there has not been a significant snowfall. Your plants will be better able to. withstand the cold weather if they’ve been given moisture than if they’ve been allowed to become overly dry.
Any questions you may have beyond what was covered here can be answered by the friendly, knowledgeable staff at City Floral. If you live in the Denver area, feel free to give us a call at 303-399-1177, seven days a week, with any of your gardening queries.
