Before You Start

Locate your rose garden so it receives the maximum amount of sun daily (Afternoon Sun is a must!), has good air circulation, and good soil drainage. Check the table below for proper spacing between roses.

Spacing Chart

Hybrid Teas & Floribundas 20-36 in.
English & Antiques 36-48 in.
Climbers 6-8 ft.
Miniatures 12 in.
Tree Roses 36-48 in.

Step 1

Start by digging a hole 21/2' wide and 2' deep. Make sure to break through any hard, compacted soil.

Step 2

Your soil mixture should be approximately a 50/50 mix between native soil and organic compost. Mixing organic compost into the soil is very important to your roses health. Compost provides the raw materials needed for your rose to grow, above and beyond what fertilizer provides. Additionally compost helps correct bad soil problems, it loosens heavy soils while at the same time building up soils that are too sandy.

Step 3

Add some loose soil to the bottom of the hole, and build it into a mound. Spread the roots over it and finish filling the hole. Make sure there are no air pockets and that the bud union is 1" above the soil. Firm the soil around the base of the rose.

Step 4

Mound moist soil, sand, or extra compost over the top of the bud union, and within 2-4" of the tops of the canes. This replaces any moisture lost during transplanting, and protects the rose from drying out before the roots have time to adjust. After the rose has pushed out approximately 1" of growth in the spring, remove the extra soil and allow the rose to grow naturally. (In cold climates, this procedure has to be repeated each year before the first killing frost, in milder climates, this step is only necessary when transplanting occurs.)

Step 5

Build a watering basin around the plant large enough to hold around 3 gallons of water. (A wall 2" high with a diameter of 2' should be about right.) Water the rose in with a solution containing Vitman B1 and Soil Penetrant to stimulate new root development and proper water penetration.

Finish It Off

Keep the plants moist, not soppy wet, at all times until they start growing. (A moisture meter can be an invaluable tool when learning how to water properly.)

Spring Care

The first year, or every year, if you live in colder climates, clean away the mound of soil once approximatly 1" of new growth has emerged, and all risk of a killing frost has passed.
As the weather warms up and days increase, your rose will need more a more frequent waterings. Monitor your roses regularly with a moisture meter until you are deep watering approximatly 1-2 a week. (Occasional misting may be necessary on excessively hot days.)
Your first fertilization should take place when the new growth has reached 6" in length. A well-balanced Rose & Flower food is your best choice. For organic gardener's Alfalfa Meal is an excellent choice. Follow with an additional fertilization every six weeks through the blooming season. (Slow release fertilizers may requiure a longer period between fertilizations.)
Many diseases show up in Spring. Be vigilant against any intruders. Fungus usually develops on roses this time of the year. Check your symptons against the Fork & Spade Rose Problem Solver.
Tree Roses should have their stakes checked, as the new growth pushes out and the tops of the roses become heavier, any stakes that rotted during the winter will break, and along with it will go the rose. Check for evidence of rot a few inches above and below ground level.

Summer Care

In the heat of the summer it is important to protect your roses against heat stress. The best way to do this is through a program of weekly deep waterings, and the use of mulch. A 2" layer of humus or bark cools the roots near the surface, and stops excessive evaporation from the soil. If your roses are wilting, but the soil is wet, mist the leaves down around mid-day. (This doesn't burn the leaves despite the myth.) The extra humidity will protect the rose from the heat.
As the flowers fade, cut the old flowers off. This is called deadheading. Cut the flower stem as if you were cutting it for a vase, with a long stem. Choose and outward facing bud and make the cut at an angle so water doesn't sit on the cut and allow diseases to enter.
Insect problems become the most severe in Summer. Keep a watchful eye for any damage or unwelcome pests.

Fall Care

Depending on your climate, your roses might bloom into November or only into September. Continue deadheading until the last few flowers are left. Allow these to stay on the bush, and turn into rose hips. Besides the color some varieties provide, the rose hips also help slow the amount of new growth put out in the fall. This is important because new growth is the most sensitive to damage from the onset of cold.
One last fertilization of 0-10-10 or another low-nitrogen fertilizer will help the rose build up nutrients for the following spring, without pushing out the new growth you want to avoid.
Monitor the watering with a moisture meter. As the days shorten and cool off, your roses will be using less water, stretch out the time between waterings accordingly.
In cold climates it will be necessary to winterize your roses now.

Winter Care

Winter pruning can take place in January or February. If the roses are still buried in snow in your climate, it is safe to wait until the snow thaws.
Waterings should only be required in climates with no winter snow and then only when the soil has begun to dry out between rain spells.