PLEASE NOTE: In the autumn of 1995, we hatched the idea for a free, local gardening publication. The following spring, we published the first issue of Michigan Gardener magazine. Advertisers, readers, and distribution sites embraced our vision. Thus began an exciting journey of helping our local gardening community grow and prosper.
After 27 years, nearly 200 issues published, and millions of copies printed, we have decided it is time to end the publication of our Print Magazine and E-Newsletter.

Archive for the Raising Roses department

Growing roses in your “up north” garden

February 15, 2024 • Leave a Comment

One of the most time-honored Michigan traditions is traveling “up north” to spend idyllic weeks in the sunshine, water and woods. Some of us have cottages or second homes up north. While we don’t want to turn a cottage into just another suburban home, many cottage dwellers like to plant a few ornamental plants to enjoy flowers. Often, roses are rejected as being too fussy for up north. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The growing conditions up north are indeed different than a typical suburban garden. The most obvious difference is the weather. That’s a big reason we trek up north—it’s cooler, both in the summer and in the winter. Those winter lows can create challenges for roses. Up north gardens often contend with much more wind than in suburbia, especially if the cottage sports a lakefront vista. The sandy soil up north is inviting to clay-challenged suburban gardeners because it is easier to dig. However, that same soil doesn’t hold water or nutrients as well as the familiar subdivision clay soil.

Further, cottage dwellers aren’t able to provide their up north gardens with consistent care. Cottages often are empty for days or even weeks during the growing season, while residents earn their living in the big city. That means that plants aren’t watered regularly and there’s little time for spraying pesticides. Besides, who wants to apply toxic chemicals in the natural, up north environment? Seasonal cottages are often shut down in late September. The dock is pulled from the lake and the plumbing is drained and turned off. That’s a little too early to winter-protect tender roses, yet it may be the last time the owners visit the cottage before spring.

Even with all these challenges, roses can thrive up north with just a few special “tricks.”

Select winter-hardy roses and plant them in a sunny spot

This simple advice goes a long way in guaranteeing success with up north roses. There’s no getting around it: roses are sun lovers—the more sun the better. Roses convert sunlight to energy and energized roses are better able to survive winter chill, drought and pests. Plant a winter-hardy rose in a sunny spot and you’ll be rewarded with decades of bloom, even up north.

Some of my favorite up north roses include the hardy, fragrant rugosas and Canadian-bred Explorer and Morden Parkland roses. If you’d like a rose for cutting, consider the many bred by Dr. Griffith Buck at Iowa State University, known fondly as “Buck” roses. His pink and red roses are the most winter-hardy, while the white, yellow and apricot ones may need some extra winter mulch to survive up north.

Don’t overlook the once-a-year-blooming antique roses. They will create 3 to 4 weeks of show in mid-to-late June up north—exactly the time you will be visiting your cottage. After blooming, these hardy survivors turn into leafy, rounded shrubs, at home in a naturalistic setting. They’re reliably winter hardy and rarely bothered by insects and diseases. They’re survivors—that’s how they’ve lived to become antique roses! Several ancient rose varieties are native to Michigan, including prairie rose (Rosa setigera) and swamp rose (Rosa palustris).

This simple advice goes a long way in guaranteeing success with up north roses. There’s no getting around it: roses are sun lovers—the more sun the better. Roses convert sunlight to energy and energized roses are better able to survive winter chill, drought and pests.

Plant when you’re going to be at the cottage for a few weeks

Spend some time working organic amendments into the planting area. Put about 1/2 cup of bone meal at the bottom of the planting hole. This provides a good, very slow-release form of phosphorous, essential for root development.

Water heavily while planting and water newly-planted roses every day for several weeks; ideally a month. Water is the best “miracle chemical” to ensure success for a newly planted rose. It’s OK to use lake water on roses and may be better than mineral-rich well water. After a few weeks, reduce the frequency of watering, but plan to supplement nature’s rainfall during the first year, when roses need water 2 or 3 times weekly, especially in sandy soil. After the first year, roses are better able to withstand periods of drought.

Hold off fertilizing a newly planted rose for about a month. Check new roses frequently for animal damage. Critters seem to be attracted to freshly worked soil and could uproot your roses looking for the bone meal or tender roots to munch.

Once the roses are established, there are two treats that will bring them from so-so to spectacular: slow-release fertilizer and organic mulch.

Apply slow-release fertilizer in late spring or early summer

The plastic-coated, slow-release fertilizer pellets release nutrients slowly over 3 or 4 months. Roses are heavy feeders and, unfortunately, sandy soil doesn’t hold nutrients well. Organic fertilizers are good as well, but in sandy soils they must be used monthly from May through August. Compost is a good organic soil amendment that improves soil structure, but it doesn’t provide enough nutrients when used as the only fertilizer.

Several inches of organic mulch corrects many problems

Shredded pine bark mulch is readily available up north and is a wonderful top-dressing around your roses. It helps moderate soil temperature and moisture level, making your roses more forgiving if you must ignore them for weeks at a time. It smothers weeds and makes it easier to pull them. Over time, bark mulch decomposes, adding much needed organic matter to sandy soil. Spread a couple inches each year to replace the mulch that’s decomposed into the soil and to dress up your garden with a fresh look.

Heap some extra mulch around the crown for the first winter

Even the very winter-hardy varieties mentioned in this article aren’t fully established for their first winter. Their roots could frost heave and the tender new canes could attract rabbits. Heap 6 to 10 inches of extra mulch around the crown for the first winter. Hardy roses won’t need any special winter mulch in subsequent years, but you may need to ring them with mesh wire if the critters enjoy your winter garden.

Give your up north roses a little extra attention each May

Wait until the rose starts to leaf out, and then pull away leaf debris around the plant to create a little basin that helps collect water around the crown. Prune off any winter-damaged canes and shape the shrub, even if it means pruning some portions that are already pushing leaves. Apply slow-release fertilizer around the drip line of the plant and scratch it into the soil or mulch. You don’t have to bury the fertilizer, just get it in contact with the soil. Spread a couple inches of fresh organic mulch and water the plant very thoroughly to get the fertilizer’s nutrients to the roots. That’s it. Now enjoy hundreds of blooms from your lake-side hammock all summer!

Nancy Lindley was the co-owner of Great Lakes Roses in Belleville, MI.

ELSEWHERE: Why are my roses changing color?

Tip for success growing climbing roses

June 12, 2023 • Leave a Comment

by Nancy Lindley

I can fondly recall the year my mother ordered one of every climbing rose variety from her Jackson & Perkins catalog. Her goal: create a continuous color mass on a new split-rail fence. Her excitement: high. Her desire: strong. Her results: blah.

I was probably about ten years old that year, and vividly remember helping plant all those dead-looking, bare-root rose bushes with peculiar names like ‘Zephirine Drouhin,’ ‘Don Juan,’ and ‘Golden Showers.’ But to my utter surprise and disbelief, they quickly grew long canes that ultimately sported a brilliant bouquet of colorful flowers that summer. Hooray for Mom! Our favorite was the newly introduced ‘Joseph’s Coat’ with its masses of bright yellow and red blooms.

That fall, my mother tenderly hilled soil over the base of her darling climbers and securely tied them to the fence in preparation for winter. The following spring, all were dead.

Not one to readily admit defeat, my mother retreated to the rose book section of the local library and emerged with renewed vigor and determination. That summer, she replaced every bush with new climbers. Come fall, she put to practice her newly acquired knowledge: untie and bury the long canes in the ground.

The following spring, the results were remarkably similar to those of the first year. Thus ended my mother’s attempts to grow climbing roses.

What she didn’t know then, but we know now, is that many roses sold in this country aren’t hardy enough to handle Michigan’s climate. Yes, you can winter-protect tender hybrid tea roses by hilling them under mounds of soil. However, it’s almost impossible to protect the long canes of tender climbers. To succeed, you need to grow “cane-hardy” roses. Those my mother tried to grow die back too much each year to succeed as climbers here.

There are several types of roses that can be used as climbers. Some thrive in Michigan, others do not. I’ll describe the general categories of roses that are available, then discuss which are suitable for Michigan, and which are not.

Large-flowered climbers

These are what my mother tried to grow. They produce large, colorful, fragrant blooms in several waves throughout the growing season. The showiest display occurs in June. Their winter hardiness is highly variable. While my mom didn’t grow them, the climbers developed by the Kordes family of Germany are well-suited for our climate. One example is their red ‘Dortmund,’ which produces masses of large, five-petaled blooms. Another is the bright yellow ‘Goldstern,’ which is surprising in light of the fact that yellow roses usually aren’t winter hardy.

Climbing sports

Roses of this type that my mother tried to grow include ‘Climbing Peace,’ ‘Climbing Queen Elizabeth’ and ‘Climbing Iceberg.’ These are just lanky mutations of well-known garden roses. They’re stingy bloomers, very tender, and are just not well-suited for Michigan.

**Canadian Explorer rose ‘John Davis’ (photo credit: Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener)**

Shrubs trained as climbers

New types of these roses not only survive in Michigan, they thrive. This includes the rugged Canadian Explorer shrub roses, many of which can be trained as ironclad climbers. One variety of Canadian Explorer is the strawberry-pink ‘William Baffin.’ It’s so winter-hardy, it can be left on the arbor all winter, without special protection, even if you lived north of the Arctic Circle. Another is deep pink ‘John Cabot.’ It’s attractive when spread along a wall or fence. Medium pink ‘John Davis’ creates eye-catching vertical interest when trained up a pillar.

Climbing miniature rose Jeanne Lajoie — **‘Jeanne Lajoie’ (photo credit: marcir)**

Ramblers

Don’t overlook this group of easy-care climbing roses. They’ve graced Michigan gardens for generations with their long, supple canes that respond well to training. Their bloom is fragrant, copious (typically covering the entire plant), and long (often stretching for 5 or 6 weeks). When not in bloom, ramblers often cover an entire fence with attractive green foliage. For your garden, consider the classic pink rambler ‘Seven Sisters.’ It’s beautiful, fragrant and requires minimal care.

Climbing miniature roses

These are an excellent choice for Michigan gardens, especially if you want “constant color.” One in particular, ‘Jeanne Lajoie,’ is a wondrous climbing miniature. Unlike most climbing minis, such as cherry red ‘Sequoia Ruby’ or peachy orange ‘Work of Art,’ ‘Jeanne Lajoie’ grows 8 to 10 feet instead of 6 to 7 feet tall. It produces masses of small, full, pink blooms throughout the summer and is well-suited for training up a pillar or obelisk.

How to grow climbing roses

Climbing roses have the same cultivation requirements as other roses:

They need lots of sun. More sun means more bloom. Yes, some climbers will tolerate less-than-full sun, but they won’t be prolific bloomers.
They need lots of water. Typically, more than what nature provides, especially during their first year.
They are heavy feeders and should be fertilized several times a year.
They require good air circulation for good health. Roses planted in areas where air circulation is poor and leaves don’t dry quickly are prone to fungal diseases like blackspot. Consider putting up a chain-link fence. While some view these as an eyesore, they’re actually better for climbing roses than solid fences or walls because they promote good air circulation.

When tying long, flexible canes of climbers to upright supports, use a soft material such as yarn or hosiery. Also, tie them loosely to prevent the canes from rubbing against the support on windy days. You’ll want to remove and reposition canes several times during the growing season, especially when the rose is young and growing quickly.

Pruning

Prune climbers in late April, just as the leaves are budding. If you want to prune out old, well-established canes, do so in late June after the first big floral display, not in late April. Otherwise, you’ll reduce the glory of the first bloom cycle. Do not prune climbers past mid-August.

During the first year, you should only need to prune dead wood or canes that cannot be directed toward a desirable location. In spring of the second year, prune all canes except for those that will be trained as main canes. Because the blooms appear mostly on the lateral side shoots, it’s important to prune these shoots by at least half during your early spring pruning. You’ll also want to remove spent blooms from lateral shoots throughout the growing season. In the third and subsequent springs, remove about 1/4 to 1/3 of the main shoots and train new shoots as replacements. This rejuvenates the bush and keeps it productive.

Climbing roses create a dramatic focal point on obelisks or pillars. On trellised walls, they provide privacy and reduce sun glare. On chain-link fences, they provide a softer, more welcome look. Of course, no matter where they are, they provide sweet, fragrant breezes.

Remember the two main keys to success with climbers: 1) select varieties that are cane-hardy to your climate zone, and 2) spend a little time training them. Do this, and you will be well rewarded for your efforts.

Nancy Lindley was the co-owner of Great Lakes Roses in Belleville, MI.

Elsewhere: Why are my roses changing color?

Follow these five steps to grow fabulous roses

April 4, 2023 • Leave a Comment

Roses are just like people—they need just five things to thrive:

Sun
Air
Food
Water
Love

Mother Nature can handle the first two needs (sun and air) by herself. But she needs your help with the second two (water and food) in order for your roses to survive. You are the sole provider of the last need (love). And it’s that one that spells the difference between roses that simply survive, and those that thrive.

Let’s consider each of these needs:

Sun. Roses are sun-loving plants. Typically roses need at least six hours of full, direct sunlight daily and will do better if they receive more.

For areas that receive between 4 and 6 hours of direct sun, select five-petaled roses. These are roses with a lower petal count and, in general, the lower the petal count, the more shade a rose will tolerate. As a group, hybrid musk and antique alba roses are fairly shade tolerant—mainly because they have simple blooms.

Air. Roses like good air circulation to keep their leaves dry and to prevent fungal diseases. However, avoid exposure to strong winds. Consider the most rugged roses, like rugosas and Canadian explorers, for your cottage on the Great Lakes. Otherwise, plant your roses where they will enjoy gentle breezes. Remember this if you plant near a wall or solid fence.

Remember, roses grow quickly, which means you should thoughtfully consider the spacing between bushes. Follow this rule of thumb: roses generally grow to be as wide as they are tall. So, roses expected to be four feet tall should be planted about four feet apart, as measured from the center of one bush to the center of the next.

Hybrid tea roses can be planted closer together, while antique and shrub roses should be placed a little further apart. Remember, too, that climbing roses need lots of room. Plant them at least 6 to 8 feet from neighboring climbers.

It’s a common misconception that roses shouldn’t be planted near other types of plants. In truth, they can be part of an integrated landscape provided neighboring plants don’t crowd them and prevent good air circulation.

Food. Roses are heavy feeders and appreciate richly amended soil. They are adaptable to soil type. They’ll thrive in sandy soil if you feed them frequently, and in clay soil if they have good drainage. The solution to sandy-soil and clay-soil problems is the same: organic amendments. Many municipalities produce wonderful compost from the grass clippings collected from homeowners. Usually this compost is free for the hauling.

Apply your first fertilizer in late April or early May. Slow-release fertilizers need only be used once or twice a year. Organic options should be used every 4 to 6 weeks. In any event, your last fertilizer application should be in mid-August, so that your roses ease into dormancy before the first heavy frosts.

The commonly available rose fertilizers with systemic insecticides should be avoided because they will kill earthworms. Treat insect problems as they occur—you don’t need to “nuke” your entire garden to eliminate a few aphids or budworms when targeted attacks will be sufficient. Also, foliar-feed fertilizers give your roses a nice snack, but they are too quick-acting and transient to be used exclusively.

Water. Roses like lots of water, but not wet feet. In other words, be sure the plants are in a well-drained soil. We simply do not receive enough natural rainfall in Michigan for roses to thrive, which begs the question, how much is enough? Some will tell you 1 or 2 inches per week. However, it really depends upon your soil type and drainage. The goal is to keep the soil near the rose roots evenly moist. This means you’ll need more water in sandy soil than in clay. Try installing a rain gauge near your roses so you can see exactly how much water they are receiving.

The belief that you shouldn’t permit rose leaves to get wet is a myth. In our nursery, we watered our roses exclusively with overhead watering. We found that it helped wash off powdery mildew and insects. It helped that we watered early in the morning so that the leaves dried as the day came on. This prevented fungal diseases that can form when leaves are wet for an extended period or overnight.

Most residential in-ground irrigation systems are optimized for turf grass and do not provide enough water for roses. You can supplement these systems by hiding a soaker hose under the mulch around your roses. Your irrigation contractor may recommend a special drip irrigation circuit for roses, but be prepared to check the emitters frequently—clogging is a common problem.

A good organic mulch, such as finely ground pine bark, pine needles or garden compost will help the soil retain moisture and reduce the need for frequent watering.

Love. Spend a little time with your roses, deadheading spent blooms and checking the moisture content of the soil at their roots. That way, while you are enjoying their beauty, you’re likely to notice “conditions” before they become “problems.”

Roses can be the stars of your garden, so plant where you can admire them frequently—their blooms are abundant and fabulous. Follow the guidelines presented here, and you’ll be amazed at their display!

Nancy Lindley was the co-owner of Great Lakes Roses in Belleville, MI.

Elsewhere: Downy mildew control on roses

Simple steps to keep roses healthy for the summer

June 20, 2022 • Leave a Comment

by Nancy Lindley

You can prolong the fabulous show that roses put on in June just by following a few simple steps to keep roses healthy for the summer. Here’s how.

Look at your garden. Are your roses receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight? If not, consider thinning out overhead tree branches. Are they planted too close to other plants? If so, relocate those plants and give your roses some space.

Maybe your roses are planted too close to a wall. Did you know it’s easy to move them by root pruning in summer to get them ready for transfer in fall when they’re dormant? To root prune, cut a circle around the shrub with your spade, much like you were digging them up. However, don’t do that final thrust that rips the roots out. Fertilize as usual, and keep the plant well watered. Do this several times throughout summer. This will create dense, compact roots that respond well to moving. In the fall, dig out your rose with a root ball slightly larger than your pruning circle cut, then transfer your plant to its new home.

Roses need much more water than they receive from typical rainfalls, and more water than home irrigation systems provide for turf grass. How much is enough? It depends on your soil, mulch and air temperature. To determine if your roses need watering, dig a small hole a few inches deep near the plant’s base. Check the soil’s moisture content. If in doubt, water.

Unless your spring fertilizer was a slow-release type, fertilize your roses every month or so during the growing season. To promote repeat blooming, deadhead (remove) spent blooms to prevent the formation of rose hips (seed pods).

Hybrid tea roses have long stems and are good for cutting. Make your cut about one half inch above a leaf cluster with five or more leaflets. A new shoot will emerge above that cluster and just below your cut. To prolong the life of cut roses, take a bucket of warm water into the garden. Immediately after cutting the rose, hold the stem underwater and make a new cut about an inch above the end of the stem. Doing this brings water, not air, into the stem. To condition the roses, place the bucket in a dark, cool room for several hours. Now they’re ready to be arranged in a vase.

Common Michigan pests

While working with your roses, watch for pests or unusual growths and immediately correct any problems. Here are some common insects and diseases that can attack Michigan roses.

Aphids. Small insects that congregate near the tops of roses and suck the life from tender, new growth. Their “honeydew” (waste) is ideal for mold and mildew growth. Remove aphids by hand, or blast them off with a high-pressure water spray daily. On the ground, predators will feed on them. If you must use a pesticide, select a low environmental-impact product, like neem oil or insecticidal soap.

Spider mites. Unlike aphids, spider mites lurk on the lower leaves of a rose. They are difficult to see, but not the problems they cause: lower leaves take on a bronzed, crispy appearance. Spider mites prefer miniature roses and thrive in hot, dry areas. The best treatment is a daily, high-pressure water blast. These mites resist insecticides, but they can be smothered with neem oil.

Japanese beetles. These large, shiny green beetles are common in Michigan and prefer feeding on roses with yellow and white fragrant blossoms. Remove these pests from plants by hand and drop them into a jar of soapy water. Stepping on them may help females release their eggs. Also consider treating your turf to kill the grubs that will become this year’s Japanese beetles. Beetle traps are not recommended because they lure the pests into your vicinity where they might feed on your roses before reaching the trap. Most effective insecticides are fairly toxic and need to be reapplied every few days. More friendly neem oil products are recommended.

Two common types of fungal infections

Powdery mildew. This gives new foliage a powdery, sugar-frosted appearance, usually in spring or fall. Red roses are prone to this fungus. The best treatment is a daily high-pressure water blast. If you grow varieties susceptible to mildew, consider applying a fungicide every 10 to 14 days. Read application instructions carefully. If your plants are located in an area of poor air circulation, consider moving them.

Black spot. This dreaded summer fungus appears as black spots on lower leaves and occurs because leaves are left wet continuously for seven or more hours. Soon the leaves turn yellow and fall off, then new leaves higher on the plant become infected. Nothing will cure the spots once they develop. However, you may help save your plant by removing all infected leaves and begin spraying regularly with a preventive fungicide.

Perhaps your best “cure” is to prevent this problem (and powdery mildew) from ever occurring in the first place. To do this, bathe your plants with an early morning shower. That way, leaves can dry quickly as the day wears on. Also consider planting rugosa roses, which are highly resistant to black spot. Talk to garden center professionals about other resistant varieties.

Summer pruning of climbers, rugosas, and once-a-year bloomers

Some roses, such as hybrid teas and miniatures should be heavily pruned in late April or early May, before their first bloom cycle. However, the best time to prune climbers, rugosas, and once-a-year blooming antique roses is June. Each year, remove about 25 to 30 percent of their total wood to keep them looking fresh. Do this by sawing out their oldest, woodiest canes at the plant base with a pruning saw. This thinning process encourages new growth from the base and reduces plant size. You can further reduce the plant size by cutting it at the top of the plant, but do this after the major thinning cuts.

Climbers benefit from this late-spring annual thinning. Also in late spring, prune back a climber’s side shoots that emerge along the length of lateral (horizontal) main canes. New blooms will develop at the end of these shoots. Once your climber completes its first bloom cycle, prune these side shoots down so that only a couple sets of leaves are left on each side shoot. This will encourage new side shoots (and blooms) to form.

Follow these few simple steps, and you will be rewarded with beautiful bouquets from June to October.

Nancy Lindley was the co-owner of Great Lakes Roses.

How to grow great roses: Pruning and fertilizing

April 21, 2021 • Leave a Comment

The rose is the queen of the flowers. With proper planning and a little loving care, you can be rewarded with beautiful rose blooms year after year. Here are some springtime guidelines to make sure you get the most out of your roses.

Pruning timing

Perhaps no other aspect of rose care is as misunderstood or feared as pruning. It’s actually quite simple.
Rule Number 1: Prune your roses in the spring, usually in April or May—never in the fall. How much you prune is another matter, which brings us to Rule Number 2: You can’t kill a rose with improper pruning. You might give it a bad-looking season, but you won’t kill it. Some pruning practices for specific roses:

Repeat-blooming roses, such as miniatures, hybrid teas, floribundas and shrub roses, bloom best on “new growth.” You create new growth by cutting back these roses by 1/3 to 1/2 early each spring when the forsythia blooms.

Climbers bloom best on “old wood.” So, in late April, prune out just the winter-killed or damaged canes. You don’t want to prune them back too far; knee-level is good. You won’t kill the plant if you prune it further, but you won’t see its best bloom either. Wait until late June to perform major size reductions if needed.

Rugosa roses are repeat bloomers, but like climbers, it’s best to wait until late June for major pruning. In early spring (like April), all you need to do is clip off any winter-killed tips. Note that rugosas are slow to wake up in the spring, and the dormant canes are often gray and look dead—don’t worry, they’re not. So wait until they are leafed out before pruning.

Once-a-year blooming antique roses and ramblers perform best if you wait until late June, after their spring bloom, for major pruning. In April and May, just prune out the winter-kill and damaged canes, then stand back. You’ll be treated to massive and wondrous June blooms that isn’t matched by other roses.

Pruning techniques

The first rule here: use a quality pair of bypass pruners. The second rule: keep them sharp, and learn how to sharpen them properly. Pruning practices to help you get started:

Most people tend to under-prune. Don’t be shy. Use those quality pruners and cut the canes low.
Miniature and shrubby roses with many canes can be pruned with just about anything, even hedge trimmers.
With hybrid tea roses, prune out canes that are very spindly or so old that the bark has turned brown. Also, prune out overlapping canes from the center of the bush to open it up. The end result should be 5 or 6 plump, green canes. With floribunda or repeat-blooming shrub roses, it’s all right if you end up with more canes. In fact, it’s desirable.
Cut about 1/2 inch above a “bud eye,” the bump on the cane. New growth starts from the bud eye closest to the cut. Before you cut, be sure that the bud eye is facing the outside of the bush, not the inside.

Fertilizing roses

Before discussing fertilizers, let’s start with your soil. Get it tested. Contact your Michigan State University Extension (go to www.MichiganGardener.com > “Resources” > “Garden Help”). MSU will provide you with a form to complete and return to them along with your soil samples. On that form, point out that the soil will be used for growing roses.

Now on to fertilizers. Question: what do roses and teenagers have in common? Right! They both consume enormous amounts of food. Like teenagers, roses require a continual supply of food during their growth and blooming periods. This is especially true with repeat bloomers.

In general, roses perform best when you use a well-balanced fertilizer. There are several commercial blends that contain natural materials like bone meal, fish emulsion and blood meal. These organic blends help improve the soil structure in addition to providing nutrients. If you have a yearning to be unique, you can make your own home blend of organic fertilizer. Include a variety of components to your mix, not just one or two. Like people, roses need a well-balanced diet to be healthy. Whatever organic fertilizer you use, remember to apply it 3 to 4 times a year, starting in late April.

You can also augment your granulated fertilizer applications with a quick-acting liquid fertilizer. This kind of fertilizer should be used as a supplement to your regular applications, rather than an alternative. If you decide to use a liquid fertilizer, I suggest using it at half the recommended strength.

Whatever fertilizer you select, avoid granular products that contain systemic insecticide. While they perform well as a fertilizer, the insecticide component poisons the soil and kills the desirable earthworms. Further, their insecticide components are not all that effective.

Growing great roses: The 5 essentials

To thrive, roses need five things. Look around your yard and find where nature will amply provide two of the essential ingredients: 1) sunlight, and 2) air. You provide the other three: 3) water, 4) fertilizer, and 5) love.

Specifically, plant your roses where they will receive at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, and where the air circulates freely to prevent disease. Keep in mind that roses love water and lots of it, but not standing in pools. So, select a site that offers good drainage. Be prepared to supplement nature’s rainfall with regular waterings of your own. Also reward your roses with fertilizer, and they will reward you with dazzling blooms.

One more thing on site selection. Choose a place that is easily visible from your home. Not just so you can enjoy the full display of brilliant colors, but so you can readily see and react to little problems that may occur before they become big ones.

Growing roses is fun and very satisfying. You soon may be answering the question from friends and neighbors alike: “How do you grow such beautiful roses?”

Nancy Lindley is the former co-owner of Great Lakes Roses.

RELATED: Maintaining climbing roses

Digital Editions

Archive for the Raising Roses department

Select winter-hardy roses and plant them in a sunny spot

Plant when you’re going to be at the cottage for a few weeks

Apply slow-release fertilizer in late spring or early summer

Several inches of organic mulch corrects many problems

Heap some extra mulch around the crown for the first winter

Give your up north roses a little extra attention each May

Large-flowered climbers

Climbing sports

Shrubs trained as climbers

Ramblers

Climbing miniature roses

How to grow climbing roses

Pruning

Common Michigan pests

Two common types of fungal infections

Summer pruning of climbers, rugosas, and once-a-year bloomers

Pruning timing

Pruning techniques

Fertilizing roses

Growing great roses: The 5 essentials