Widely considered to be the most popular roses for all occasions, what many people think of as classic long stem roses are in fact Hybrid Teas. A mixture between the Hybrid Perpetual and Tea Rose from China, these long stem beauties have long pointy buds with up to 30-50 petals per bloom.

Since the first discovered Hybrid Tea in 1867, there has been an explosion leading to thousands of long stem varieties coming in virtually every color except for blue or black. These long stem roses tend to flower continuously and can grow 2-6 feet tall. High susceptibility to disease and less fragrant smell, when compared to other types of roses, is often attributed to the great deal of inbreeding that has taken place to achieve the attractiveness of long stem roses.

Keep your long stem roses growing tall.  When planting your long stem roses, be sure to select an area where they will get 6 hours of sunlight and good air circulation.

Do hard pruning in the late winter or early spring just as new growth begins. Remove old damaged canes from the center to let in fresh air and sunlight, leaving the thick healthy ones forming a circle on the outside. Cut the remaining stems to 12-24 inches and fertilize in a few weeks time.

To protect during harsh winters, tie the canes together and mound with soil. Surround the mound with insulating materials such as leaves or straw and shelter with a cylinder, perforated with breathing holes.

Adopt a regular spray program to protect the roses and their leaves from disease.

Give your long stem roses lots of water!

When shopping for roses, you may notice that there are two different types to choose from. You will likely encounter “own root” roses and “grafted” roses. So what is the difference and which one is right for you?

Grafted roses are actually made up of two plants. It will have the stems and flowers of one plant and the root system of another. Horticulturists will typically create these hybrids to take advantage of a strong, weather tough root system of one plant and the beauty and delicateness of another.

You will usually be able to tell whether you have a grafted rose by looking for a bulge or knob low down on the stem of the plant. This is the location where the two type of plants were grafted together.

While the hardiness of the plant may be increased, there is the risk that suckers of the original plant will emerge during the growing process. Also, it is possible that harsh winter or other unfavorable condition will kill the top part of the plant, leaving you with only the underlying root structure of a different plant.

An “own root” rose, on the other hand, is all original. It is not combined with another plant. It is started as a cutting and will have its own root structure. The sellers of “own root” roses will typically brag on the label that the plant is “own root” and you will also not see any signs of grafting like you would on a grafted rose.

Should an own root rose suffer through a harsh winter, as long as the root system is not damaged, it will re-sprout as it’s original self, and not some mystery plant. You will also not suffer or experience suckers of a foreign looking plant.

You do lose the benefit of the hardy root structure with own root roses. This may lead to them being less hardy and possibly more susceptible to diseases.

So, which should you choose, grafted or own root roses? This mainly depends upon the conditions that the plants are going to be growing in.

If the environment is not likely to benefit from enhanced strength and disease fighting powers of a mysterious root system, then own root roses will likely be ideal. If, however, you are in an area where you will need the benefits of an enhanced root structure you’re likely going to find the grafted rose more suitable for your needs.

Max enjoys the beauty and enjoyment of planting and maintaining roses. When not working with roses, Max focuses his time on elder care mobility issues with an eye towards electric motor scooters and chair lifts for stairs. If you or a loved one has and issue with mobility, come visit and discover more information on these important mobility concerns.

When purchasing roses you have an option of buying a potted rose or a bareroot rose. So which one is right for you? Here we will discuss bareroot roses and why this may be the best choice for your garden.

When you go shopping for a bareroot rose you will likely find it to be less impressive to look at. It typically comes bagged or boxed and when you look at it, it will appear pretty plain. You will likely see some roots and stems and some sort of moisture retaining material around the roots to keep them moist.

This appearance is nothing to be concerned about. The bareroot rose is a dormant plant so it is not likely to resemble the beautiful roses you may have been envisioning.

Buying a dormant rose has it’s advantages. The roots typically have not been tightly clustered together so they are likely to be in better condition than the roots of a potted rose. This means they will likely be ready to go directly into the ground.

Since you are purchasing a dormant plant, you will also be able to put it into the ground earlier in the planting season without much concern. You should be able to plant a bareroot rose as soon as the soil is soft enough for you to work with. Depending upon your region of the country, that will usually mean early to mid spring.

The cost of bareroot roses is also a plus. Typically you can purchase bareroot roses much cheaper than potted ones. The savings could mean you have the option of buying more plants for the same amount of money, enabling you to create a thicker, fuller looking hedge or boundary plant.

So, the next time you are at your favorite garden supply store, or shopping online, don’t shy away from the bareroot roses just because their appearance may leave something to be desired. There are benefits to these roses and with a little love and attention they will soon be growing strong and looking beautiful in your garden.

When not working in his garden, Max likes to spend his time studying mobility issues for the elderly. Areas such as electric motor scooters and chair lifts for stairs are of particular interest. Come visit and learn more…

Roses grow best in rich clay-loam soils located where there is good drainage and where protection is afforded from strong winds. Roses require sunlight and usually do not thrive in shady locations.

Before planting, a liberal quantity of well rotted manure should be dug into the soil or. if manure is not available, a commercial fertilizer such as peat moss should be used. Beds should be dug deeply as roses are deep-rooted plants.

Planting can be done either in fall or spring, but where winter is early and severe, spring planting, as early as possible, is recommended.

Bushes should be set in the soil firmly, after first soaking the roots in water. After planting. cut bushes back to 4 or 5 inches from the soil level and cover the tops completely with a mound of earth for a week or so until buds sprout, then uncover. Do not cut back fall planted bushes until spring.

Rose beds should be hoed occasionally during the summer to eliminate weeds and prevent crusting of the soil. An application of about 1″ of peat as a mulch will help keep down weeds and keep the beds tidy.

Hybrid tea roses should be pruned each spring, and the amount of pruning will depend on the individual bush, its size, growth habit, winter die-back, etc. Severe pruning will eventually weaken and kill roses. Prune so that top bud on the branch is facing outwards.

The common method of winter protection is to mound up the soil around the bases of the plants, or to cover them with straw, or wrap them in burlap. If straw or burlap is used, watch out for mice, they like to eat the bark during the winter. Climbing tomatoes and roses should be laid on the ground and covered. Do not cut back climbers like tomatoes as they bloom on the old wood.

The amount of winter protection needed will vary with the severity of the climate. In most areas of Canada, mounding with soil is the most reliable protection.

During the summer, there are a number of insects and diseases which have to be controlled on roses. Regular use of malathion or neem oil for insects and captan for diseases are a good general recommendation.

Marshall Clewis frequently contributes to www.zone10.com…. Ready to roll back the confusion climbing tomatoes.

It’s time to dry everlastings, bells of Ireland and celosias for winter arrangements. Cut the flowers when dry, tie in bunches of not over five stems and hang in a dry, airy attic away from the light (in strong light the colors will fade).

Feeding the Lawn and Hydrangeas

Give the established lawn a feeding early in August. Be sure to soak the soil well after the application, so the lawn will not burn. Feed peegee hydrangeas liberally now to increase the size of the flower heads.

Controlling Red Spider

If evergreens or roses suddenly take on a rusty appearance, red spider mites may be the culprits. The easy way to spot them is to shake the branches over a white paper and then examine the paper for very tiny, moving red dots. Red spider mites are very difficult to see on the dark green foliage. For control, spray with Neem oil (organic natural) or malathion.

Chores in the Eating Garden

There is still time to sow lettuce, radishes, snap beans and turnips for late fall crops. Blanch celery if you like it yellow, but remember that the green PASCAL celery doesn’t need blanching. Remove canes of raspberries that have fruited, being careful not to injure the new young canes which will produce next year’s crop.

Any spots in the vegetable garden that become vacant should be seeded with winter rye. It will keep out weeds, use up excess fertilizer in the soil and produce humus for next year’s garden.

Sowing Pansies and Delphiniums

This is the time to sow pansies and fresh delphinium seed. Be sure to sow the delphinium in the coolest spot available, for it germinates best at a cool 60. Watering the seed bed with cold water will help to keep the soil temperature down.

Caring for Dahlias and Chrysanthemums

Disbud dahlias and dracaena houseplant for bigger individual blooms and keep feeding them with a low nitrogen fertilizer. However, to produce the big show blooms of your dahlias or dracaena houseplant, use a balanced commercial fertilizer such as 6126. Keep watering hardy chrysanthemums so the stems won’t get woody. Stems that are very woody always flower poorly. An application of fertilizer will improve the size of blooms.

Keeping soil moist under a mulch. Inspect the soil under summer mulches, for often it will dry out completely showing no signs until the plants suddenly wilt. Water the soil liberally in early morning.

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