A shrub rose is a good choice for someone who is just starting to grow roses.
These types do not require as much pruning as others and are also disease-resistant. They are easy to handle and grow vigorously.
You can have all of the previously mentioned features without sacrificing color and flower size.
This text is asking whether the idea of a shrub rose sounds good, and then proceeds to ask what a shrub rose is and how to take care of one. It also questions how to determine if the type of rose one has selected is indeed a shrub rose.
The following questions are good! We will discuss all of this and more in the near future.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-grow rose, shrub roses are a great option. In this article, we’ll show you how to get started with planting and caring for shrub roses.
What Are Shrub Roses?
We need to be clear about what we mean when we use the term “shrub rose.” This is because the term can mean two different things, depending on who you are talking to.
A “shrub rose” typically refers to a rose plant that doesn’t have a climbing or ground-cover growth habit, but instead has a shrub-like growth habit.
There are many different types of shrub roses, which come in a wide range of colors. They are not as showy as other types of roses, but they do not require as much maintenance. Some of the newer types of shrub roses have been bred to be more resistant to disease, hardier, and to produce more blooms.
BASICS
Zones:
3-11
Height/Spread:
The plant has a mounding, bushy habit and can grow 1 to 20 feet tall and 1 to 15 feet wide, depending on the variety.
Exposure:
Place this plant in an area of your garden that receives full sun to light shade. It will Bloom best when placed in full sun.
Bloom time:
After the flowers of some varieties bloom in the late spring to early summer, they bloom again later in the season. Some varieties continuously bloom from late spring until there is frost.
Flowers:
Flowers that are single or double-petaled and come in a wide range of colors are often considered to be attractive. Some of these flowers may also be fragrant. The colors green and blue are typically not seen among these types of flowers.
Foliage:
The leaves of the plant are shiny or dull, green or blue-green in color, and are elongated with a serrated edge. The plant’s branches can be thorned or thornless, and some varieties have attractive fall foliage in shades of red, orange, yellow or purple.
Rose hips:
After the blooms are gone, many varieties of roses produce berries called hips. These hips can be red, orange, pink, or yellow.
Toxicity:
The entire rose plant is safe for dogs and cats to consume, but some animals may feel minor discomfort after eating any type of plant. pointy rose thorns can cause internal damage.
Deer resistance:
Roses are a desirable food source for deer, as they are attracted to the blooms and new growth. However, some rose varieties – such as rugosas – are less appealing to deer due to the presence of thorns or a less palatable taste. All rose plants can benefit from protection from deer.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SHRUB ROSE
For borders and landscapes:
Opt for plant types that correspond with the dimensions of your yard. They can serve as hedges, screens, part of a mixed border, or base plantings.
For slopes and hillsides:
Mass planting groundcover and smaller shrub roses is a good way to help prevent erosion on a slope or hillside.
For containers:
Small-to-medium varieties are best for planting in containers. The roots will need enough room to grow, so choose a container that is big enough.
PLANTING
When to plant:
Choose to plant during milder months, such as spring or fall, to avoid potentially stressing the plant with extreme temperatures.
Where to plant:
Find a place in the sun or light shade with good drainage and soil that holds moisture.
How to plant:
- Loosen soil in the planting area 1-1/2 to 2 feet wide and deep. Work a generous amount of compost or cow manure into the soil.
- Dig a hole big enough to accommodate the root ball. Mix in a handful of bone meal to support root development.
- Place the plant in the hole and spread the roots out. The top of the root ball should be level with the surrounding soil surface.
- Fill in the hole, tamp down soil to remove air pockets, and water well.
- Note: If you live in a cold region and the plant is grafted, bury the graft a couple of inches below the soil to protect it from winter freeze.
Spacing:
The spacing between plants should be 2 to 5 feet, depending on the variety. This will allow for adequate air circulation, which will help prevent moisture-borne diseases.
For bare root plants:
Hydrating your roots before planting is important and you should soak them in water for at least an hour.
Planting in containers:
- Choose a pot at least 15 to 20 inches in diameter and 18 to 24 inches deep, with adequate drainage.
- Fill the container with a good quality potting soil. Work in a cup of perlite for drainage and a cup of bone meal to support root development.
- Dig a hole big enough to accommodate the root ball and place so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.
- Fill in the hole and water well.
Propagation
If you can imagine a method of propagating a plant, it is likely that roses can be propagated using that method. For example, you can propagate roses by planting seed, taking root cuttings, transplanting plants, or grafting them.
Plants can be bought from nurseries as either potted specimens with soil or as dormant bare roots. The plants may be scions of a specific cultivar that have been grafted onto hardy rootstock or they may have their own roots.
Many shrubs are grafted, but there are some that grow from their own roots. These are becoming more popular today, so I recommend one of these below in the section on choosing cultivars.
Growing your own plants from seed is the most time consuming way to propagation, but it is also the cheapest method. You won’t know exactly what characteristics your new plant will show unless you hand-pollinate the flowers yourself.
Cutting, grafting, and layering are much quicker and easier options, and you will know exactly what characteristics the new plant you have cloned will have.
Purchasing nursery starts is the quickest propagation method, from planting to maturity, but transplants and bare roots cost the most.
How to Grow
To ensure that your shrub roses prosper, ensure that the soil they are planted in is well-draining, loamy, and rich. The ideal pH for rose shrubs falls between 6.0 and 6.5.
I bet that your soil is not naturally perfect. Most of us have imperfect soil, but preparing it will make it easier to grow new plants.
I like to adjust the texture of the soil before I tackle the rest of the job. The best way to do this is to add enough well-rotted compost to create a loamy, loose texture, no matter what the original composition of the soil was.
You should dig up the soil to a depth of 18 inches and a width of 36 inches, but you can never go too deep or wide when preparing the soil.
The next step is to test your soil’s pH and nutrient levels after amending it. That way you know what adjustments need to be made.
I prefer to use granular sulfur to lower pH because it is gentle and affordable, but it takes time to work. Depending on the current pH, you will need to add somewhere around a half-pound of granular sulfur per 10 square feet of soil.
You can find out your soil’s pH with a simple test To increase the pH, lime is the safest and most effective option. Depending on the current pH, you will need around a half to a pound per 10 square feet of soil. You can find out the pH of your soil with a simple test.
Arbico Organics sells an excellent organic dolomite lime product in a compostable box. If you need to adjust your soil, grab a five-pound box.
Down to Earth Dolomite Lime
When you have improved the soil, plant your rose in an area that gets at least six hours of sunlight each day. We have a guide to show you how to do it.
Once you have planted your desired flora, your main responsibilities are to water and fertilize it.
You can tell how much water your roses need by sticking your finger into the soil. They need about two inches of water per week.
If the soil is dry two or three inches below the surface, you should water the plant within the next day. You should soak the soil until it is saturated and then stop watering.
It is best for the plants to be well-soaked and then allowed to dry out rather than frequently watered with shallow amounts of water.
Fertilizing your shrubs when they are newly planted is not necessary. Once you start to see new growth in the form of stems and leaf buds, then you can fertilize them.
Now you can feed the roots with something that encourages rootball establishment. Fertilizer with a good amount of potassium works well, such as seaweed or kelp.
Down to Earth Kelp Meal
Down to Earth kelp meal is available in half pound or five pound boxes from Arbico Organics. Fertilize every six weeks until new growth stops emerging.
The next year, use a balanced or flower-targeted fertilizer. I realize that I am starting to sound like the president of the Down to Earth fan club here, but I really like their products.
Down to Earth Rose and Flower Mix
The fertilizer is rose-specific and is available in 1, 5 or 15 pound containers from Arbico Organics.
If you follow the directions for feeding your shrub roses that the experts give you, then you will be successful in growing them.
Pruning and Maintenance
Shrub roses generally don’t need to be deadheaded. Some varieties are self-cleaning, meaning they shed their spent blooms naturally. Check the plant tag or search online to find out if the variety you have is self-cleaning.
The Knock Out is a self-cleaning product that is very popular.
If your plant is self-cleaning, there’s no need to remove any spent flowers. For all others, it’s a good idea to remove any spent flowers with a pair of secateurs. This prevents a hip from forming and encourages new blossoms to form instead.
Even if your rose is the type that doesn’t need to be cleaned, you will still need to prune it after its first year. The best time to do this is in early spring, before the new growth starts to emerge.
Prune out any dead, diseased, or damaged canes. Each stem should be cut back by one third. The goal is to create a pleasing shape.
Pruning modern hybrids:
Some varieties of rose bushes, such as Oso Easy®, do not need to be pruned heavily or at all. In early spring, give the plant a light shaping if necessary. Rejuvenate the bush every 2 to 3 years by removing one-third of the older canes.
Pruning heirlooms:
Some roses, such as Gallica, musk, and rugosa, only bloom on old wood. To avoid sacrificing flowers, prune these roses lightly in spring. Cut out dead and diseased canes as needed.
Deadheading:
After the flowers bloom in late spring or early summer, cut the branches just below the flowers that are no longer blooming to encourage the plant to bloom again. This can be repeated as necessary throughout the summer. Some modern varieties of plants do not require deadheading because they clean themselves, but if you deadhead, the plant will generally bloom more and look neater. For varieties with hips, do not deadhead in late summer so that the fruit can develop.
LANDSCAPING TIPS
There are many ways to incorporate shrub roses into your landscape. Here’s how:
- Mass a groundcover type along a slope or hillside as an attractive alternative for erosion control.
- Use a low-growing form as a lawn substitute or where difficult to grow grass.
- Plant a larger specimen in the middle or back of a mixed border to lend a neutral backdrop to surrounding plants.
- Plant a smaller variety along a pathway for a blooming hege.
- Site different colored varieties along your home’s foundation in combination with other flowering shrubs such as azalea, abelia and bluebeard that bloom in early spring or fall for continuous season-long color.
- Plant a larger variety such as rugosa rose as hedging along a property line for privacy.
- Medium-sized shrub roses can be planted in a row as a colorful divider between garden rooms.
- Plant a small-medium variety in a container and place as a focal point at your home’s entrance, on a patio or deck. Underplant with colorful annuals for an extra pop of color.
Shrub Roses Are Perfect for Everyone
Shrub roses are a good choice for beginning growers. They are similar to entry-level roses, but even experienced growers can find them enjoyable.
And don’t mistake “easy” for unimpressive – you can have an exceptional display that is as good as any rose offers but without all the work!
