Guide
How to Prune Climbing Roses
Prune climbing roses in late winter by keeping the main structural canes and cutting the flowering s…
Answers to common questions
Rose Guides
Straight answers to the questions rose growers actually ask — drawn from real search demand and answered with practical, horticulture-based advice.
Guide
How to Prune Knock Out Roses
Cut Knock Out roses back by about one-third in late winter or early spring. They are forgiving, so y…
Guide
When to Prune Roses
Prune most repeat-blooming roses in late winter to early spring, as the buds swell but before growth…
Guide
How to Prune Hybrid Tea Roses
Prune hybrid teas hard in late winter: keep three to five strong, outward-growing canes and cut them…
Guide
When to Plant Roses
Plant bare-root roses while dormant in late winter or early spring. Container-grown roses can be pla…
Guide
How Far Apart to Plant Roses
Space most bush roses two to three feet apart. Give large shrubs and climbers three to six feet, and…
Guide
How to Transplant a Rose Bush
Transplant roses while dormant. Prune the top back, dig a wide root ball, replant immediately at the…
Guide
When Do Roses Bloom
Most roses begin blooming in late spring and, if they are repeat-flowering, continue in flushes unti…
Guide
How to Get Roses to Bloom More
For more blooms, give roses full sun, feed them regularly, deadhead spent flowers, and water deeply …
Guide
Why Are My Rose Leaves Turning Yellow
Yellowing rose leaves usually mean one of four things: overwatering or poor drainage, a nutrient def…
Guide
How to Get Rid of Aphids on Roses
Blast aphids off with a strong jet of water, and repeat every few days. For persistent colonies, use…
Guide
How to Treat Black Spot on Roses
Remove and destroy infected leaves, clean up all fallen debris, water only at the base, and improve …
Guide
How to Revive a Dying Rose Bush
To revive a struggling rose, diagnose the cause first: check for drainage problems, prune out dead w…
Guide
Do Roses Need Full Sun
Yes — most roses need at least six hours of direct sun a day to bloom well. A few tolerate light sha…
Guide
Are Coffee Grounds Good for Roses
Used coffee grounds can benefit roses in moderation — they add a little nitrogen and organic matter …
Guide
How to Use Epsom Salt on Roses
Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) can encourage new basal canes and greener foliage in magnesium-poor s…
Guide
How to Keep Roses Blooming All Summer
Keep repeat roses blooming all summer by deadheading spent flowers, feeding after each flush, wateri…
Guide
How to Train a Climbing Rose
Train a climbing rose by tying its main canes horizontally along the support with soft ties. Horizon…
Guide
How Tall Do Knock Out Roses Get
Most Knock Out roses grow three to four feet tall and wide, though they can reach five feet if left …
Guide
How to Winterize Potted Roses
Potted roses are more cold-vulnerable than in-ground ones because their roots are exposed. In winter…
Guide
How to Plant Bare-Root Roses
Soak bare-root roses for several hours, then plant while dormant in a wide hole over a cone of soil,…
Guide
How to Make Cut Roses Last Longer
Cut roses last longest when you recut the stems under water at an angle, strip submerged leaves, use…
Guide
How to Grow Roses in Pots and Containers
Roses grow well in pots if you use a large container (at least 15-18 inches wide) with drainage hole…
Guide
How to Grow Roses from Seed
Growing roses from seed is possible but slow: collect seeds from ripe hips, clean them, chill them f…
Guide
How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles on Roses
Hand-pick Japanese beetles into soapy water in the early morning when they are sluggish, and remove …
Guide
How to Treat Powdery Mildew on Roses
Treat powdery mildew by improving airflow, removing affected growth, and watering at the base. Its w…
Guide
The Best Mulch for Roses
The best mulch for roses is an organic material like shredded bark, wood chips, compost, or well-rot…
Guide
How Often Should You Water Roses
Water established roses deeply once or twice a week, aiming for about one to two inches total, and m…
Guide
The Best Companion Plants for Roses
Good companion plants for roses include lavender, catmint, salvia, alliums, and hardy geraniums — pl…
Guide
How to Prune David Austin (English) Roses
Prune David Austin roses in late winter, reducing the plant by about one-third to a half and shaping…
Guide
How to Prune Drift Roses
Prune Drift roses in early spring by cutting the whole plant back by about one-third to a half. They…
Guide
Can Roses Grow in Shade
Most roses need full sun, but a few tolerate partial shade — around four hours of direct sun. In sha…
Guide
Why Are My Rose Buds Not Opening
Rose buds that fail to open — a problem called 'balling' — are usually caused by wet weather, thin-p…
Guide
How to Protect Roses from Deer
Deer love roses, and no plant is truly deer-proof. The most reliable protection is a physical barrie…
Guide
What Is the Best Fertilizer for Roses
The best fertilizer for roses is a balanced formula made for roses, applied in early spring and repe…
Guide
How to Identify and Remove Rose Suckers
Suckers are shoots growing from the rootstock below a grafted rose's bud union, not from the variety…
Guide
How to Grow Roses in Hot Climates
In hot climates, choose heat-tolerant roses (teas, chinas, and many shrubs), give them afternoon sha…
Guide
The Hardiest Roses for Cold Climates
The hardiest roses include the rugosas and the Canadian Explorer and Parkland series, many rated to …
Guide
How to Get Rid of Spider Mites on Roses
Spider mites thrive in hot, dry, dusty conditions. Knock them off with a strong spray of water to th…
Guide
How to Grow Roses on a Fence or Wall
To grow roses on a fence or wall, plant a climbing rose about 18 inches out from the base, install h…
Guide
When to Stop Deadheading Roses
Stop deadheading repeat-blooming roses in late summer to early fall, about six weeks before your fir…
Guide
How to Grow Roses in Raised Beds
Raised beds are excellent for roses because they guarantee the sharp drainage roses need. Fill them …
Guide
Are Roses Perennials
Yes — roses are perennials. A rose bush is a woody perennial shrub that lives and blooms for many ye…
Guide
How Long Do Rose Bushes Live
A well-cared-for rose bush typically lives 10 to 25 years, and many live far longer. Some climbing a…
Guide
How to Prune Floribunda Roses
Prune floribundas in late winter, cutting back by about a third and thinning out old and weak wood. …
Guide
How to Prune Grandiflora Roses
Prune grandifloras in late winter like hybrid teas but leave more height, since they grow tall. Keep…
Guide
How to Get Rid of Thrips on Roses
Thrips are tiny insects that scar petals and distort buds, especially on pale roses. Remove and dest…
Guide
How to Get Rid of Rose Slugs (Sawfly)
Rose slugs are sawfly larvae, not true slugs. They skeletonize leaves in spring. Hand-pick them, bla…
Guide
How to Grow Roses Indoors
Growing roses indoors is difficult but possible with miniature roses. Give them the sunniest window …
Guide
Are Rose Hips Edible
Yes, rose hips are edible and rich in vitamin C. Use hips from roses grown without pesticides, remov…
Guide
How to Make Rose Water
To make rose water, simmer clean, fragrant, pesticide-free rose petals gently in distilled water unt…
Guide
How to Dry Rose Petals
Dry rose petals by spreading them in a single layer out of direct sun until crisp, or speed it up in…
Guide
Can You Grow Roses from a Bouquet
You can sometimes grow roses from a bouquet by rooting the cut stems as cuttings, but success is low…
Guide
How to Espalier a Rose
To espalier a rose, choose a climbing or rambling variety, install horizontal wires against a wall o…
Guide
How Big Do Climbing Roses Get
Most climbing roses reach 8 to 15 feet, while vigorous ramblers can grow 20 to 30 feet or more. The …
Guide
How to Grow Roses in Clay Soil
Roses can grow well in clay soil once it is improved for drainage. Dig in generous organic matter, a…
Guide
How to Protect Roses from a Late Frost
Protect roses from a late spring frost by covering them overnight with fabric, burlap, or a cardboar…