They have been symbols of love, beauty, war, and politics. And, the rose is, according to fossil evidence, 35 million years old. Dermot O'Neill, our gardening expert, will be in studio today to tell us why every garden should have a rose bush.
Heeling in
If you have purchased bare-rooted roses from a mail-order nursery or collected them from a garden center, and you're not ready to plant, it's essential that you don't let the root system dry out. What you must do is 'heel' them in.
1. In a sheltered spot of the garden, dig a small trench and place the plant in this.
2. Heel in by using soil from the trench to cover the root system and graft union or budding point(this is the swollen area between the roots and branches).
3. Cover the budding point with about 2 inches of soil. Gently firm the soil in around the roots so that it is making contact with them but is not compacted.
Planting a bare-rooted rose
Bare rooted roses should come wrapped to protect the roots from drying out. If you're unable to plant them immediatley, it's a good idea to heel them in as a temporary measure.Bare rooted roses are traditionally planted in the autumn and into winter. Providing that weather conditions are good and that the soil is manageable, it's a very straight-forward procedure. Before you plant a rose, identify the graft union or budding point. The swollen area between the roots and the branches is the spot where the rose was originally grafted.
1. The planting hole should be deep enough to cover the union so that it is approximately one inch below soil level. This helps to deter suckers. You should also make the hole wider than the rose's spread-out roots to help the rose's stability as it matures.
2. Once the hole is dug, you need to break up the soil in the bottom, which helps the roots to penetrate deeper into the soil. I usually do this job with a fork. At this point, I oftensprinkle in a little homemade, well-rotted garden compost. I also mix some compost into the soil that I've removed from teh planting hole so that's ready to use to fill back in around the root system.
3. Position the rose in the planting hole, spreading out the roots, while keeping the plant upright. I add some soil into the the bottom of the hole as I fill in around the roots, which helps to support the rose. At this stage, I gently shake the plant so that soil trickles in between the tangle of roots, helping to avoid air pockets.
4. Gradually fill up the planting hole, gently firming the soil with your feet. It's important to firm the rose well into position, as winter weather can easily rock and destabilise newly planted roses. Once the new roots start to grow in the spring, your plant will require regular watering.
Pruning and Training
Pruning
The reason we prune roses is to encourage fresh new growth which will carry healthy, strong flowers for the coming season. We also prune to remove dead or diseased growth and to improve the shape of the plant. if you never prune, the rose will still grow and flower but may not look as tidy and may not produce as many flowers. Before pruning any rose, it needs to be established and to have had at least 12 months of growth so that a basic structure is in place which is strong enough to be cut back.
Tools
I recommend that you go out and buy the best qquality hand pruners that you can afford. They are essential for doing a good job. they can be expensive but it's money well spent and will amke an enormous difference to the quality of your results. It's also a good idea to have pruning loppers- again, buy good quality-and if you have large roses, particularly shrub roses, a pruning saw is invaluable for getting rid of extra thick branches. Always clean pruners, loppers and pruning saws after you have used them. This helps to avoid spreading disease. you will also need a good quality pair of gardening gloves, buy a pair that is strong enough to withstand rose thorns.
Technique
When you are pruning roses, you need to cut above a bud. This is best done when the buds are beginning to dvelop and are showing quite clearly on the plant. the ideal cut is approx. 1/8 in, above the bud and should slope gently away from the bud. This slope is designed to carry moisture away from the bud. Never cut down behind or below the bud as the can cause the stem to die abck at this point, which would kill off the new bud. Sometimes, buds may remain dormant on the plant and be difficuly to see. If this is the case, look for a leaf scar-the place where a leaf once joined the stem-and just above this is where a dormant bud lies.
