The weather is getting warmer and warmer each day, and those of us who are lucky enough to have a garden are spending more and more time in and on it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to enjoy the vibrant colours of the blossoming flowers, trees, and bushes you have put so much work into caring? But you can’t have an extraordinary garden without a crown jewel now, can you? I think an impressive and beautiful rose tree is just what your flower garden needs to stand out in front all else! Read up now on how to plant and properly care for a rose tree.
How to plant a rose tree?
First, you have to pick the spot where you will plant your rose tree. Make sure it’s one that won’t often be hit by heavy and frequent winds, as this can blow over your tree or even break it. Rose trees come in containers, so plant them in the ground at the same depth at which they were in the container. If you are planting a bare root, plant the tree with the lower bud union in a position just above the soil.
What is the difference between a rose bush and a rose tree?
Roses do not naturally grow like a tree. A rose tree has been modified by man to grow in this particular form. It is different from a naturally-occurring rose bush.
Taking care of your rose tree after planting
If your rose tree has a heavy head or is a weeping one, be sure to keep the head pruned back by half in the cold months. Do this the first few years of the rose tree’s life to encourage the stem’s growth. After they are done blooming, you can prune them back a bit.
Another thing that is also very important when it comes to properly growing your rose tree, is to stake standards. This is required for your tree to stray upright. You can sink a piece of a metal pipe or a rebar a foot/30.48 cm into the ground next to the standard, then extend it at least a few inches above the top of the graft union. Even better if it’s into the head of the tree. Secure the stack to the stem with a flexible material like nylon, rubber or leather. Make sure to check the straps often for signs of breakage.
Your rose tree will grow, and this might mean that you have to opt for a higher stake. However, if you have chosen a plant that stays under a few feet tall even when mature, then you can remove the stake after a few years time. But do keep on eye on the stake, if it happens so that it needs replacing in this time frame.
How much light does your tree require? A rose tree would benefit being positioned in full sun. But it can also grow in partial sun or partial shade. A rose tree will require well-draining soil. Water the tree whenever you notice that the top layer of the soil has dried out.
How to prune your rose tree?
One of the most essential parts of taking proper care of a rose tree is about the pruning. This is required to maintain their gorgeous shape and health of the stem. If you have choses to go with the popular Dr Huey rose, you will need to be even more careful when pruning. Have you heard of rose sucker canes? A sucker cane is a part of the rose plant that if left to grow sucks out most of the valuable nutrients required for the proper growth of the rose tree, weakening its upper part. This is why it is crucial to remove suckers as quickly as possible.
How to get rid of suckers when pruning? Cut or tear any you might see that can appear below the top graft union of your rose tree. Make sure to do it gently. If you see suckers coming out from the ground, scrape away the soil and trim each sucker out of its base. Don’t forget to refill the soil.
Now that you have rid your rose tree of all suckers, it’s time to focus on the real pruning. First decide on what look you want for your tree. Maybe a more compact and topiary shape? To achieve it, trim your tree’s shape in the late winter before shoots start to emerge. Maintain the shape during the summer by removing any parts of the tree that look dried, old, or broken and branches that are too long. Remember not to over-prune your rose tree during summer.
Also read: How to Prune Bush Roses – Take Care of the Queen of Flowers
Tips for proper winter care
Wondering how to protect your rose trees during the cold winter months? What’s first, is that your stake standards will require more stability. Wrap the top and stem in a burlap, or heap pine boughs around the stems. If it’s very cold where you live, you can do both. For regions with low temperatures suck as Zones 6 or even below, you can prune the head of your tree back by half to minimize the chance of frost damage.
If you live in a corner of the world that reaches below 0 °F /-18 °C during the winter months, but you really want to grow a rose tree, best to plant it in a container. That way, you can bring it inside when it’s too cold. Or you can dig up the tree each winter.