26 Dec 2005
Buying and Selecting Roses
Rose plants can be purchased either as bare-root or container plants. Either type of rose will give you many years of beautiful roses. Buying bare-root plants will generally be cheaper than buying those that have been potted. Bare-root roses are sold either as packaged plants or at a nursery with the roses in bins of moist sawdust or soil. The advantage of unpackaged bare-root plants is that you can inspect the root structure as well as the canes. Rose bushes are graded 1, 1 1/2, or 2, based on the size and the number of canes, according to standards set by the American Association of Nurserymen. To be rated a number 1, a Hybrid Tea for example, must meet these requirements: when it is taken from the field it must be two years old and have three or more strong canes, two of which are 18 inches or longer, branching not higher than 3 inches above the bud union. The canes may not be this long when you buy the bush because they have been pruned for handling and to keep the canes in balance with the root system. Similarly, Floribunda roses must have 3 canes of at least 15 inches high and so on for each type of rose. Generally speaking, you should buy only #1 roses as their canes and roots will be bigger and better developed than the lesser grades. A #1 1/2 grade will have fewer canes but may be acceptable if there is no other selection. They may eventually catch up with the higher grade. It is wise to stay away from #2 roses as they are inferior and weak plants that will never offer the quality blooms of a #1 grade rose. Grading standards apply only to roses that have been budded onto rootstock. Roses grow on their own roots are not required to meet such grading standards. The grade of the rose should be clearly printed on the package. Other problems are associated with wax-coated, packaged roses. Plants that have this wax coating applied tend to dry out and can develop growth and root development problems. Canes that have been waxed have a tendency to die back and it may be more difficult for the bud eyes to break dormancy. When buying roses look for green, plump, and firm canes. If the canes appear shriveled and dry look for another plant. Inspect the roots if possible. The root system should be sturdy and fibrous with several firm, well-branched roots. The plant should be well shaped, with canes spaced around the bud union. All American Rose Selections(AARS)--- This is a system of testing new roses for a two year trial period under widely varied soil and climate conditions. There are currently 25 test gardens throughout the United States. Roses are evaluated and scored twice a year on a wide variety of attributes: form of buds and flowers, color, fragrance, disease resistence, repeat bloom. etc. ARS Ratings---Each year, members of the American Rose Society rate the newest roses. After a rose is rated for 5 years, a national average rating is established. These ratings are printed yearly in The Handbook For Selecting Roses available through the American Rose Society. Roses are rated from 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest rating. Keep in mind that these ratings show a national average and while a rose may do wonderfully in Ohio or North Carolina it may not perform the same way in California. Variations in weather, soil, and other factors should be considered. Many growers will advertise a "Rose of the Year" award. This is their own designation and has nothing to do with an AARS selection or a ARS rating. Other awards-----The American Rose Society also sponsors an award especially for miniature roses---the ARS Award of Excellence, or ARSAE. The National Gold Medal Certificate is awarded to rose varieties of any class that have given the best performance over a period of five years. In 30 years it has been awarded only 13 times.
Consider the Rose
If you are like most beginning rose growers, your first experience with buying your first rose has been that of impulse buying. The photo of the beautiful bloom on the label or perhaps the bloom itself attracts your attention. You must have it! With no other thought, you rush home and pop your "chosen" rose into a hastily dug hole. Trouble rears its ugly head a few months later as your beauty rapidly outgrows it’s site, which would have been better suited to a smaller, compact plant, has no fragrance, or quite possibly dies outright! Woe is I! Before you repeat this folly, take a few minutes to "consider the rose". Obviously, it can be very unwise to chose a rose on the basis of it's bloom alone. Consideryour requirements. Do you want a tall bushy plant or shorter more compact variety? Would you like roses to cut and bring in the home or just a colorful garden display? How important is fragrance to you? Many of today's modern roses have little or no fragrance. Consider disease-resistant varieties for easier maintenance. Roses require 6-8 hours of sunlight each day and ample water. Beyond this, are you willing to fertilize and possibly spray for insects and disease several times a year? Which varieties require little care, which are more likely to suffer in the summer heat or winter cold? The following is a brief description of the main types of modern roses and their growth characteristics. Selecting roses from these outlines will help with placement for your garden. Hybrid Teas-these roses generally bloom with one large flower at the end of each stem. Most plants are between 3-5 feet although some varieties can grow taller. Floribundas- generally shorter than hybrid teas and they bloom in large clusters of smaller blooms They average 2-4 feet high and are a great all-around garden landscape roses. Grandifloras -share characteristics of both hybrid teas and floribundas. Taller than hybrid teas, their blooms are large and they may bloom in either as single blooms or as clusters. Due to their taller height, grandifloras are good background plants. Miniatures-smaller versions of other rose forms. Depending on the variety these can grow anywhere from 6 inches to 18 inches high; although some of the newer varieties are taller. The bloom size can range from 1/2 inch to 2 inches wide. Climbing Roses-vigorous growers that produce long, arching canes and need to be secured to some type of support. Climbers can reach 8 to 20 feet or more, depending on the variety. Today's roses come in all colors except blue and true black. It is wise to begin with a limited color scheme of perhaps one dominant color with the addition of one or two compatible shades to avoid a busy and distracting look and avoid color clashes. Use cool colors of lavender, white, pink, and pastels to make a small garden look larger and soothing. If your garden will be viewed at night use these lighter shades, as deeper colors will fade into the background at sunset. Warm colors such as red, yellow, and gold draw the eye and will appear to make the garden look smaller and hotter. These strong colors are good to accent garden focal points. Consult your local Consulting Rosarians for additional information on rose selection and buying. They can also provide you with lists of fragrant roses, disease-resistant roses, roses for problem areas, etc.
Doing a little homework now can save you countless hours of frustration and possible shovel-pruning later. Plant your garden to your specifications and enjoy many years of beautiful bloom.
Sharon McColgan, ARS Consulting Rosarian
ROSES FOR COASTAL NORTH COUNTY
WHITE
French Lace – F, w Gourmet Popcorn – Mini, w Iceberg – F, w Irresistible – Mini, w Pascali – HT, w *Queen Mary II – HT, w
YELLOW
*Centennial Star – HT, yb Joshua Bradley – HT Mellow Yellow – HT, dy Michelangelo - HT *Radiant Perfume – HT Solstice – HT, my Sun Flare – F, my
ORANGE/APRICOT
*Abraham Darby – S, ab Bill Warriner – F, op City of Carlsbad – F, ob Day Breaker – F, ab Disneyland Rose – F, op *Honey Perfume – F, ab *Hot Cocoa – F, Russet Miami Moon – F, op Outrageous – F, ob Sunset Celebration – HT, ab Sunstruck – HT, ab
PINK
*Aromatherapy – HT, mp *Baronne Edmund de Rothschild – HT, pb Fame – Gr, dp Gemini – HT, pb Granada – HT, pb Jeanne Lajoie – Mini Cl, mp *Mlle. Cecile Brunner – P, lp Our Lady of Guadalupe – F, lp *Peter Mayle – HT, dp Queen Elizabeth – Gr, mp Sexy Rexy – F, mp Secret – HT, pb Signature – HT, dp Soaring Spirits – Cl, pb Summer Fashion – F, pb
RED
Cherry Parfait – F, rb *Double Delight – HT, rb *Firefighter – HT, dr Fourth of July – Cl, rb Modern Art – HT, rb Ronald Reagan – HT, rb Trumpeter – F, mr Veteran’s Honor – HT, dr
MAUVE
*Della Reese – HT *Fragrant Plum – HT *Intrigue – F *Lagerfeld – HT *Nicole Carol Miller – Gr *Outta the Blue – S *Route 66 – S Simply Marvelous – F Sweet Chariot - Mini *The Prince – S Winsome - Mini
*fragrant HARDER TO FIND AND OLD GARDEN ROSES
*Autumn Damask – Species, lp *Blush Noisette – N, lp *Boule de Neige – B, w *Buff Beauty – H Msk, ab China Doll – P, mp *Coquettes des Blanches – B, w *Darlow’s Enigma – HMsk, w Duchess de Brabant – T, lp Gruss an Aachen – F, w Irene Watts (Pink Gruss an Aachen) – F, mp or op *Jeanne d’Arc – N, w Kateryna – S, mp Lady Ann Kidwell - P, mp Marie Pavie – P, w *Mrs. B.R. Cant – T, lp *Narrow Water – N, lp *Penelope – HMsk, lp *Reine des Violettes – HP, m Sharon’s Delight – S, w *Sombreuil – Cl. T, w *Sydonie – HP, w The Gift – P, w Verdun – P, w Zephirine Drouhin – B, mp
*fragrant
Carlsbad has two public rose gardens for you to enjoy. One is at Magee Park (Carlsbad Blvd. and Beech) and the other is at the Flower Fields. You can see which roses do best on the coast at both of these gardens. HOW TO SELECT ROSES
Avoid plants that have spindly canes, depenting on the type. Hybrid Teas should have canes that are 1/3-1/2” in diameter. There should be at least 3 basal canes. Canes should be green with little or no blemishes, damage or dark spots. Plant should show some growth. If you live on the coast do NOT buy roses with 40 or more petals. They require 80º or more to open.
TO PLANT ROSES
Select a spot that gets at least 4 hours of sun daily. Dig a hole 3’ x 3’ if possible and mix in 1/3 planting compost with the native soil. If you are planting bareroot roses make a mound and spread the roots over it. Bury the roots making sure the bud union (if the plant is grafted) is above the soil. Water well and add a root stimulator prevent shock and to help the plant get started. Water daily until you see new growth (2-3 weeks). Then water as needed.
Abbreviations: Classifications B – Bourbon Cl - Climbing F – Floribunda Gr – Grandiflora HMsk – Hybrid Musk HP – Hybrid Perpetual HRg – Hybrid Rugosa HT – Hybrid Tea LCl – Large flower climber M - Moss Min – Miniature MinFl – Mini-Flora N - Noisette P – Portland Pol - Polyantha S – Shrub T/Cl T – Tea/Climbing Tea
New from David Austin Can grow much larger in our climate
*Benjamin Britton - S, mr *Carding Mill - S, ab *Charlotte - S, ly *Comtes de Champagne-S, my Corvedale - S, mp *Grace - S, ab Hyde Hall - S, pb John Clare - S, dp *Queen of Sweden - S, lp *Spirit of Freedom - S, lp *The Alnwick Rose – S, dp *The Mayflower - S, dp Wildeve - S, pb *Wisley - S, dp
*fragrant
Black Cherry, F, dr *Bolero, F, w Carefree Sunshine, Cl., dy *Ebb Tide, F, m Home Run, S, dr Janice Kellogg, F, dp Let Freedom Ring, HT, mr Modern Art, HT, rb Pink Traviata, HT, mp *Sixteen Candles, F, mp *Spellbound, HT op Solstice, HT, my *Sunstruck, HT, ab *Truly Yours, HT, pb Valentine’s Day, Cl Mini-Fl, dr White Eden, Cl, w White Majesty, HT, w
RECOMMENDED ROSE LIST FOR THE NORTH COUNTY COASTAL AREA
By the Members of the
California Coastal Rose Society
Abbreviations: Colors w – white/ near white/white blend ly – light yellow my – medium yellow dy – deep yellow yb – yellow blend ab – apricot/apricot blend ob – orange/orange blend op – orange-pink/orange-pink blend or – orange-red/orange-red blend lp – light pink mp – medium pink dp – deep pink pb – pink blend mr – medium red dr – dark red rb – red blend m – mauve/ mauve blend Includes all shades of lavender and purple
2006 AARS WINNERS Julia Child, Fl, my Rainbow Sorbet, F, yb Tahitian Sunset, HT, *Wild Blue Yonder, F, m
FRAGRANT ROSES
Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras
Abbaye de Cluny Adolf Horstman Ain't She Sweet Alec's Red Alpine Sunset Amelia Earhardt Arizona Arlene Francis Auguste Renoir Bambey Baronne Ed.de Rothschild Belami Big Apple Bimboro Blue Girl Blue Moon Blue Nile Blue Ribbon Bob Hope Broadway Cajun Spice Candy Stripe Capt. Harry Stebbings Centennial Star Charles de Gaulle Chrysler Imperial Command Performance Confidence Corpus Christi Crimson Glory Cyril Fletcher Dolly Parton Double Delight Dublin Eiffel Tower Electron Elegant Beauty Elsa Knolls Folklore Forgotten Cloud Fragrant Dream Fragrant Hour Fragrant Lady Fragrant Memory Frederic Mistral Fragrant Plum French Perfume Givenchy Gold Medal Golden Masterpiece Golden Sceptor Granada Guy de Maupassant Hawaii Heart O' Gold Heirloom Honest Red Jardins de Bagatell Jema John F. Kennedy Just Joey Keepsake Kordes Perfecta Lagerfield Lemon Spice Lobo Love Potion Loves's Promise Marco Polo Mirandy Maria Stern Mary Jean Mauve Melodee Melody Perfumee Miss All-American Beauty Mister Lincoln Moon Shadow New Zealand Nightime Oklahoma Olde Romeo Ole Oyster Pearl Papa Meilland Paul Ricard Peachy Perfume Beauty Perfume Delight Pink Peace Proud Land Poinsetta Rebecca Clair Red Masterpiece Regatta Royal Amethyst Royal Dane Royal Highness Ruffles Scandia Seashell Secret 777 Sheer Bliss Smooth Perfume Sonia Stainless Steel Sterling Silver Summer's Kiss Sundowner Sunset Celebration Sutter’s Gold Sweet Afton Sweet Surrender Talisman Tango The Temptations Tiffany Touch of Magic Tower Bridge VooDoo Whisky Mac White Lightnin' Wimi
Floribundas
Amber Queen Angel Face Apricot Nectar Blueberry Hill City of London Everest Double Fragrant Apricot French Lace George Burns Gruss an Aachen Iceberg Intrigue Judy Garland Margaret Merrill Neon Lights Old Port Pensioner's Voice Playboy Purple Heart Purple Tiger Radox Bouquet Saratoga Scentimental Sheila's Perfume Shocking Blue Sunsprite Vogne Winfred Coulter
Sharon McColgan
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