Four Things to Consider When Planting Roses

Roses are wildly popular flowers – both for planting in your yard and for gifting to a special someone. Native to the northern hemisphere, roses come in a variety of different colors and types. With over 50 different rose cultivars that grow well in Mississippi, there’s a rose that is sure to meet all your needs and preferences. 

To be successful with roses, there are a few things you need to think about before buying them. It’s easy to head straight to the gardening store and purchase whatever roses they have available, but you should carefully review the variety you are interested in planting before making your selection. Publication 2835, “Roses in Mississippi- The Allure, Lore and History of Roses,” has all the details and recommendations you’ll need to get started. Here are five things to consider for growing successful roses in your landscape:

1. Choose the right planting location. When choosing a spot to plant your roses, you might have a location in mind already. But is that location ideal for your roses? Roses need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day, ideally more! Consider this when choosing a location for your planting site. You also want to put them in a spot that has fertile and well-drained soil. One common issue many gardeners face is improper drainage. Consider building a raised bed or placing them in a large container to ensure proper drainage.
2. Select roses that thrive. There are several species of roses that perform well in Mississippi. Knock Out roses are a great go-to and are often abundant in gardening stores. Drift roses and Peggy Martin roses are also great varieties to consider. In our Extension Publication 2835, you’ll find a chart of recommended rose varieties with information about color, bloom cycle, class, and disease management.
3. Consider your time investment on caring for diseases and pests. With any gardening project, you need to take into consideration how much time and effort you want to invest in the project. Do you plan on being very involved with tending to diseases and pests on your plants, or do you want a hands-off approach? Extension Publication 2472, “Insect Pests of Roses,” offers guidance on common rose insects and how to treat them effectively. You can find information on diseases in Publication 2835.
4. Take proper care of your plants. If you want to get the most out of your roses, make sure you stay on top of pruning, mulching, watering, and fertilization each year to keep them as healthy as possible. Pruning established roses normally happens in the winter. Watch our video tutorial on how to prune roses in one of our previous blog posts. .

When caring for your roses, you will likely have questions or concerns that arise throughout the process. Reach out to your local Extension office for resources and help. The rose section of our website also has links to a multitude of different publications and articles related to roses!