Kingwood Blooming Shrubs, Roses, and Evergreens

How to Plant, Feed and Care for your Roses

Select your site and prepare your soil for planting your roses

Roses need Six direct hours of sun each day to flower well. However, in the hot Texas summers, you may want to give them late afternoon shade. The site should be level and not too close to trees and shrubs that compete for nutrients. Choose a well-drained location, Roses do not like “wet feet”. ​Raised Beds a​ re recommended to correct poor drainage, and they improve growing conditions for plants by lifting their roots above poor soil.

Clear the site of all weeds and grasses. Loosen the soil down at least 12 inches. It is not necessary or recommended to overtill. Great soil is filled with billions of helpful bacteria, worms and microorganisms that play important roles in bringing nutrients to your plants. Over tilling the soil can ruin all of that.

In Texas, our heavy, sticky clay soil is basically deficient in two things – air and organic matter, and needs to be amended before you plant a new bed. Plant roots don’t get enough oxygen in unamended clay soils, but raised beds, compost and other amendments help.​Leaf Mold Compost,​ ​Composted Cotton Burrs​, E​xpanded Shale, and Happy Frog® Soil Conditioner ​are the best soil amendments, which can be added to our Texas gumbo to ensure success in your garden beds. Texas soils tend to retain water, which is good for dry summers, but can literally drown plants in the spring rains. Properly preparing the planting bed will allow the roots of your new plants to quickly grow throughout the area. Deep watering the soil and allowing it become dry an inch or two down before you water again will also encourage deeper root growth in your new plantings.

Texas Heirloom Compost and Shale Mix,​ is a locally developed high-quality leaf mold compost combined with expanded shale.

Expanded Shale,​ a gravel-size rock that is pumped full of air, aerates clay soil making it easy to work and helps soil drain better. You only need to add expanded shale to the soil once and work it into the beds to a depth of 4-8 inches. Test plants have been shown to have larger, healthier root systems with expanded shale.

Compost​ is made up of decomposed organic material that is produced when bacteria in soil break down biodegradable matter. Compost improves soil structure and attracts earthworms to encourage aeration of the soil. The nutrients in compost feed plants slowly throughout the growing season.
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How To Plant Your Rose Bushes

Dig a hole slightly larger than the container that the rose bush is in.Work into the planting hole ​compost and expanded shale or soil conditioner. ​ Add a fertilizer formulated for roses such as N​ utri Star 18-14-10 or Nitro Phos ​Rose Fertilizer 18-12-6​ to the bottom of the hole according to package directions based on transplant size.

Secret Tip:​ work 1 cup of​ Epsom Salts ​into planting hole along with fertilizer at time of planting. Roses love this! Epsom salt – actually​ magnesium sulfate ​– helps seeds germinate, makes plants grow bushier, produces more flowers, increases chlorophyll production and deters pests, such as slugs and voles. It also provides vital nutrients to supplement your regular fertilizer.

Spread the plant roots gently and set the rose bush into its hole.

Add a​ mixture of native soil, compost and expanded shale or soil conditioner a​ round the transplant until the bud union is about two inches above the ground. Tap the soil downgentlyandfirmlyaroundtheplant.T​ hen,waterinwitharootstimulator.

​Root Stimulator and Water Soluble Fertilizers
Water in at time of planting and throughout active growing season

Fox Farm Holy Mackerel, Microlife​ Ocean Harvest 4-2-3, Liquid Seaweed or Kelp.

Other Helpful Amendments: Azomite and Greensand

Deep water newly planted roses every day for the first two days after planting. This settles the soil and removes large pockets around the roots. Then, you can resume your normal watering schedule.

Rose Troubleshooting

Symptoms of Rose Underwatering

Leaves are dry and crumble, brown or light green in color, and fall easily off the tree.

Symptoms of Overwatering

Leaves discolor, but do not come off easily or crumble in your hand.

When does a Rose need water?

Feel the soil around the root ball to the depth of approximately three inches. If it’s dry, thoroughly soak the entire root ball. In May and June, you should pay special attention to the soil moisture as your Rose will begin to need more water with rising temperatures. A​ deep soaking is much better than light, frequent watering.

Make annual applications of L​ eaf Mold Compost​ and Epsom Salts and maintain a mulch of ​Hardwood, Cedar or Shredded Pine Bark.​ Maintaining a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch on your garden beds will preserve moisture, help control erosion, suppress weeds and keep the soil surface cooler, which benefits earthworms, microorganisms and plant roots.

Fertilize roses in mid February and again in late August. D​ iscontinue fertilizing your roses after August.​ To slow down the plant growth and allow the plant to harden off, leave the rose hips on the bush after the last blooming cycle.

Fungicide applications will control powdery mildew and black spot. Always apply according to label directions.
Watch closely for insects and treat only if there is a problem. Use pesticides labeled for the pests you are targeting and follow label directions. Apply chemical sprays in the early morning or late evening.

If you are unsure how to address your Rose issue, consult with the experts at Warren’s Southern Gardens before treating your plants for insect or fungal issues.

Soil Recipe For Container Grown Roses

• 2⁄3 Fox Farm Ocean Forest Potting Soil or LP Rose Soil

• 1⁄3 Heirloom Soils of Texas Planting Mix w/ Expanded Shale and Aged Leaf Mold Compost

• 1 Cup of Epsom Salts

Recommended Fertilizers: Work into soil at time of planting

• Nutri Star 18-14-10 or Nitro Phos ​Rose Fertilizer 18-12-6 Root Stimulator and Water Soluble Fertilizers – Water in at time of planting and throughout active growing season

• Fox Farm Holy Mackerel, Microlife​ Ocean Harvest 4-2-3, Liquid Seaweed or Kelp

Other Helpful Amendments: Azomite and Greensand

Most roses can be grown can be grown quite successfully in containers as long as attention is paid to the root environment, nutritional needs, moisture requirements, and pruning. T​ ree form roses and miniature varieties are especially well suited to container culture.