There are two common fallacies about roses, namely (1) they are difficult to grow, and (2) they require too much work. If you've found either of these complaints to be true, you're doing something wrong.

Roses love good drainage and lots of sunshine, food, and water. This can be accomplished easily, even in heavy clay soils, simply by incorporating a sufficient amount of organic matter, locating your roses in a spot with at least six hours of direct sunlight a day, and watering properly. Then, if you choose rose varieties appropriate for your climate and use mostly organic fertilizers, while limiting the use of chemical insecticides, miticides and fungicides, your roses will require a minimum of care.

The following cultural information is designed specifically for gardeners living on or adjacent to the blackland prairie of Texas, with alkaline clay and sandy clay-loam soils in USDA zones 7 and 8.  On the other hand, much of this information can be applied in any climate and with essentially any soil.  Just make the appropriate modifications for your soil type, pH, and geographic location.

BED PREPARATION

Heavy Clay, Alkaline Soil: Raised beds may be needed for proper drainage. Dig native soil to 14 inches. Then, per 100 square feet, till in 4 to 6 inches of compost, 1 lb. of soil sulfur, 4 cups of alfalfa meal, and 2 cups of Epsom salts. Don't add sand of any kind to the soil mixture. (It’s not absolutely necessary, but bed preparation is best done 2 to 3 months before planting.) After 6 months, check the pH of your soil at a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Add more sulfur as necessary to bring the pH down to within a range of 6.5 to 7.5.

Sandy Clay-Loam: Raised beds may be preferable, but are not usually necessary if the basal drainage is good. Dig native soil to 14 inches. Then, per 100 square feet, till in 4 to 6 inches of compost, 4 cups of alfalfa meal, 2 cups of Epsom salts, and 2 cups of iron sulfate (copperas). After 6 months, check the pH at a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Add soil sulfur or dolomitic lime, as appropriate, to adjust the pH to within the range of 6.5 to 7.5.

Rose Soil Mixes:  Four or five brands of packaged rose soils or soil amendments are now being sold at nurseries and garden centers.  Unfortunately, these haven't worked well for me, primarily because they weren't formulated for our local conditions, and they all contain sand -- with two exceptions.  The first, Back to Earth Rose Blend™ was specifically formulated for local soils, contains only fine-screened compost and carefully selected organic ingredients, and has been receiving high praise from those who have tested it -- from the Dallas-Fort Worth area south to Austin and north at least as far as Oklahoma City.  It was designed as an amendment for native soils (mix it in the proportions listed on the label) and can be used in lieu of either of the procedures for bed preparation described above.

And South Plains Compost is now selling another, very similar, compost-based soil amendment (Rose Bed Amendment™) under their Back to Nature brand name.

You should know that I am the person who formulated Rose Blend™ for Back to Earth Resources, Inc.  I have subsequently participated in field tests and have found it to be an excellent soil amendment.  And, since I receive no income from the sale of these products and have no commercial ties to either company, I can recommend both products ethically and with a clear conscience.

PLANTING

Bareroot Plants (January into April): Soak the roots overnight in 10 to 15 drops of Superthrive® per gallon of water. Dig a hole at least 18 to 24 inches wide and 12 inches deep. Plant in a prepared soil, or mix the native soil with compost in a 2:1 ratio. Add 1 to 2 cups of composted cow manure to the mixture. Form a cone-shaped mound of amended soil in the bottom of the hole and pack firmly. Make the mound tall enough to spread the roots over it and locate the bud union, if any, at or slightly above the final soil level. (To develop an own-root plant, place the bud union 3 inches or more below the final soil level.) If there is no bud union, the top of the roots should be at least 3 inches below the final soil level. Position the plant and fill the hole with amended soil, tamping firmly around the roots and watering well to remove any air pockets. Mound soil or finely textured mulch 6 inches high around the plant and then slowly work that down to a flat surface over a 4-week period. Apply 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch.

Container-Grown Plants (Year Round): Dig a hole twice the container diameter and half again as deep. Plant in a prepared soil, or mix the native soil with compost in a 2:1 ratio. Place 1 cup of composted cow manure in the bottom of the hole and mix with enough amended soil to position the top of the container soil at or slightly below ground level. Fill in with amended soil, tamping thoroughly and watering well to remove any air pockets. Apply 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch.

Rose Planting Note: In recent years, we have learned that roses are like tomato plants in one important way.  Unless they're covered up completely, we don't have to be concerned about planting them too deeply.  And the deeper they're planted the better they'll be anchored and the more of a root system they'll develop.  So don't be afraid to plant roses (or tomatoes) more deeply than they were when they were originally grown.

SPRAYING & FERTILIZING

Non-Organic Gardening: Beginning when the roses are pruned in February or March and continuing through October, spray weekly for black spot and powdery mildew, alternating two or three fungicides, such as Funginex, Daconil, Immunox, Bonide Rose Spray, Banner Maxx, Manzcozeb, etc.  (Never use Banner Maxx more than once every two or three weeks.  It contains a growth retardant.)

Spray both sides of the leaves with a strong blast of water or with a commercial miticide every 4 or 5 days to eliminate infestations of spider mites. Spray as necessary with Orthene® to control aphids and thrips and monthly with Cygon®, if necessary, to ward off rose rosette.  (Note: the EPA is in the process of banning Cygon® for use by the home consumer.  Unfortunately, there is no other miticide available at this time that has proved to be effective against the mite that is the vector for rose rosette disease.)

Fertilize monthly, April through September, with a slow-release 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 fertilizer containing trace elements. (Don’t worry about it being labeled specifically for roses. With most of those products, you’re simply paying a premium for the labeling.) There shouldn’t be any iron deficiency if the soil pH is maintained above 6.0 and below 7.5. Otherwise, treat the soil with iron sulfate (copperas) or chelated iron and correct the pH.

Organic Gardening: Beginning immediately after the roses have been pruned in February or March and continuing through October, spray monthly (or on an as-needed basis) with the modified Cornell University organic spray (see formula below) to control black spot, powdery mildew, spider mites, and aphids. Otherwise, spray the underside of the leaves with a strong stream of water (only) on a 5-day schedule to control spider mites. Use close underplantings of garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) for elimination of spider mites and partial control of aphids. (Don't worry about garlic chives being invasive; they're not.)  For control of  aphids, release ladybugs and green lacewings in early spring, but only if they don’t show up on their own.

After plants have gone dormant in winter, spread an organic fertilizer or composted manure over the bed at about 20 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. Cover this with 2 to 4 inches of active compost, such as composted cotton boles (coarse screened). Repeat this entire treatment toward the end of August. Caution: Because of the salt content, don’t use manure more often than once every 3 or 4 years with any clay-based soil.  And never use a high phosphorous fertilizer.

Organic Spray Formula: Mix into one gallon of water, in the order listed:

    1 tbsp. of mild dishwashing soap (such as Palmolive green -- but see note below)

    2 tbsp. of ultrafine horticultural oil (such as Sunspray™ oil)

    1 heaping tbsp. of baking soda

    1 tbsp. of fish oil/seaweed emulsion

    3-5 drops of Superthrive®

If needed, add the label recommended dosage of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for control of caterpillars.

[Note: Labels on newer containers of Sunspray™ oil indicate that it now contains an emulsifier.  In that case, the dishwashing soap can be omitted.]

Mix well and spray with a pump-up sprayer late in the evening, after first watering your roses thoroughly and thrashing them with water from the hose to scare off some, most, or all of the beneficial insects.

DON'T ADD VINEGAR.  NEVER USE ANY TYPE OF FISH OIL/SEAWEED PRODUCT CONTAINING SULFUR WITH A HORTICULTURAL OIL SPRAY.  AND NEVER MIX A CHLOROTHALONIL FUNGICIDE (e.g. Daconil™ or Fung-onil™) WITH HORTICULTURAL OIL OR USE THEM ON ANY PLANT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF EACH OTHER.

For black spot control, it is important that you spray all of the plant's wood, as well as the foliage.  It has been found that the black spot spores reside in lesions on the canes and that they attack, not only the foliage, but also the canes and prickles.

Neem Oil Alert: Neem oil products are becoming increasingly popular with organic gardeners.  And they can be quite effective for controlling both insect pests and fungal diseases.  But researchers at Washington State University have found that neem oil extract is lethal to ladybug larvae and will sterilize or severely reduce the egg-laying capacity of adults for as long as 10 days after application.  Therefore, each gardener must now reconsider the use of some of the neem oil products in an organic program.