Rose Care

December/January

These months remain key months for the desert rose grower.  It is at this time the old roses are pruned and the new roses planted.
 

• Pruning
• Find your best canes.  The largest and healthiest.  Six inches above the graft line or ground line, find an outward facing bud-eye.  Cut about 1/4 inch above it and then seal the cane with Elmer's Woodworking Glue.  Try to leave no more than 24 inches of total cane length.  The would mean 4 canes six inches long.
• Then strip all of the leaves, if there are any left and remove all the rose litter from around the plant.
• Plant your new roses.
• Buy the best-rated canes you want to afford.
• Get only the number ones.  Notice: we mean bare root roses.  Not the ones in pots.
• Pots often are the leftovers from the bareroots that may not have sold.
• Be sure to go to the nursery with a list of roses.
• Check with the American Rose Society for rose ratings.
• Never buy one with a rating less than seven.
• Better yet try one of the roses we recommend.