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The article throws light upon the eight main steps for growing roses. The steps are: 1. Situation 2. Soil 3. Layout 4. Planting 5. Propagation 6. Manuring 7. Irrigation 8. Pruning.
Step # 1. Situation:
The ideal position for planting roses is sunny, open and protected by hedge, fence or building against strong winds. It should be quite away from shade or from the underground roots of trees.
Step # 2. Soil:
Roses require fertile and clay loam and loam soils. Soil should be deep having good water holding capacity with proper drainage. Roses do well in soils having pH between 6.0 to 7.5 but it can also grow satisfactorily in alkaline soil with pH up to 8.4. The soil pH can be brought in safe limits by adding gypsum or other acidifying agents in alkaline soil whereas pH of acidic soil can be raised by adding well ground dolomite lime stone.
Step # 3. Layout:
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Rose is a beautiful flower; hence, it should be displayed in an attractive manner. The beds can be made of formal designs or informal designs keeping the style of layout of the garden in view. Formal shapes of beds like square, rectangular, circular, U-shape or L-shape can be prepared. For informal designs, the beds of informal shapes suiting to the design should be prepared.
Step # 4. Planting:
The place selected for planting roses should be dug thoroughly to a depth of 90-120 cm and kept open for few days. The soil should be dried and refilled with 10-15 kg/sq. m. well rotten farm yard manure and good garden soil at the top.
The spacing between plants varies with the vigour of the variety but generally H.T. varieties can be planted at the distance of 75 cm from each other while for the varieties of floribundas which are used for massing, a distance of 60 cm can be kept.
For planting roses, best time is from end of September to middle of October but it can be extended up to November. At the time of planting roses, the soil of the size of earth ball should be removed from the bed and plant should be placed in this pit.
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Soil should be refilled and well pressed. Care should be taken that bud union is just above the ground. Light pruning i.e., tipping back of the branches should be done. After planting, frequent irrigation, removal of root suckers and manuring should be done.
Step # 5. Propagation:
Roses are commonly propagated by ‘T’ or shield budding on the rootstock. The common rootstock used is Edouard rose (R. bourboniana) or R. multi-flora. Recently R. indica odorata has been found better than the former rootstocks.
Thorn-less rootstock is also getting popular. These rootstocks are easily propagated by hard wood and semi hardwood cuttings which are prepared in September-October at the time of annual pruning. When these cutting attain pencil thickness which takes about a year, they are ready for budding.
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Roses are grouped into different classes according to the height at which budding is done on the rootstock. For Bush roses budding is done at 7.5-10 cm above the ground whereas for standard rose budding is done at the height of 100 cm.
These are more useful in the garden because flowers are produced 1 m above the ground and are suitable for both formal and informal layouts. Sometimes Half standard is also produced by budding at 50 cm. Weeping Standard roses are prepared by budding of climbing roses at 100 cm above the ground. In Weeping roses branches of climbing roses droop down and create artistic effect.
These rootstocks are easily budded by ‘T’ method and there is a high percentage (about 90-95%) of success. The best budding time is from November to February and after union of buds, budding starts growing. The upper portion of rootstock is cut into installments. By the time plants are ready for transplanting it completes about two years.
The new method of cuttage buddage is followed to reduce this long period. In this method, cuttings are budded immediately and planted in sand or burnt rice husk media for rooting under polythene cover in the month of December or January.
It takes about 3-4 weeks for cutting to strike roots and bud to grow. High success can be obtained by treating the cuttings and buds with 1000 ppm of IBA so that in one year plants are ready for planting. The miniature roses are propagated through cuttings.
Step # 6. Manuring:
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Many arbitrary recommendations are available about feeding of roses. Roses should be fed with both organic and inorganic sources. One hundred gram of mixture containing groundnut cake—5 kg, bone-meal—5 kg, ammophos (11: 48)—2 kg, Ammonium Sulphate—1 kg, super phosphate (single)—2 kg and Potassium Sulphate— 1 kg should be applied per bush for better results.
Results obtained at PAU reveal that addition of 60 g N, 20 g of P2O5 and K2O should be applied per sq. m. containing nine plants. These fertilizers should be applied in two splits i.e., half amount of N, full dose of P and K at the time of prunning and remaining half one month after the first application. In the market many ready-made rose mixtures are being sold which can also be applied.
For better effects foliar feeding of roses has also been found very useful. Foliar sprays of 30 g of a mixture of 2 parts urea, 1 part Di-hydrogen ammonium phosphate, 1 part potassium nitrate and 1 part of potassium phosphate in 10 L of water at weekly or fortnightly interval, improve growth and flowering of roses. A weekly spray of 30 g urea/10 L of water, with an insecticide is also recommended.
Step # 7. Irrigation:
Water requirement of roses depend upon soil type and seasons. Light soils require more frequent irrigation than heavy soils. During summer, water requirement is more than winter. Therefore, irrigation is adjusted in a way that soil is moist but not wet. During rainy season, watering is generally not done except during drought period. During winter, irrigation is done at about 7-10 days interval whereas during summer it should be done at an interval of 5-6 days.
Step # 8. Pruning:
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It is most important and technical aspect of rose growing. Root suckers should be removed whenever they appear. Every year rose plants produce some shoots which become weak by the young shoots growing out and become bushy in appearance. If not pruned properly, plants produce poor quality of flowers and become unproductive.
A judicious pruning is done which removes those plants which would become ultimately useless, rob and endanger the healthy wood. Pruning also helps in securing healthy and clean canes and production of quality blooms and availability of light and air to central parts, thus maintaining the health of plants.
The ideal time of rose pruning is when rains are completely over and winter is approaching. This condition prevails under North Indian plains from end of September to middle of October. Most of the varieties take about 60-65 days of blooming after pruning. Therefore, to secure flowers for particular occasion, pruning can be adjusted accordingly.
Pruning should be done systematically by cutting out all dead wood and removing all weak and spindly growth. Overcrowding of shoots at the center should be thinned out to keep the center open. If too many shoots are left after thinning out process, reduce their number to few strong ones.
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The canes are shortened according to the type of which it belongs. Pruning should always be done to an eye pointing outward and cut should be covered with fungicidal paint to check the infection of die-back pathogens.
Hybrid Teas and Teas are pruned to 5-6 eyes but for exhibition purpose severe pruning is done to 3-4 eyes. In case of Floribundas, dwarf polyanthus and miniatures, pruning consists of removal of all weak and diseased growth and also the ends of branches should be tipped back. In climbers, in-laced stems and all weak growth should be removed. Old stems may be cut after 3-4 years.
