ROYALTY IN YOUR FLOWER NURSERY: HER MAJESTY, THE ROSE

Rich in color, form and scent, roses remain in the upper crust of a flower nursery stock. For hundreds of years these lush beauties have had a favored position in the hearts of nursery professionals, loved for their vivid colors and traditional charm. It's no wonder the rose has the title of Queen of Flowers. A basic understanding of the rose's requirements for healthy growth is needed in order to offer consistent quality plants in your flower nursery.

Shoes, or Bare Feet?
Those interested in a flower nursery perhaps already know the difference between potted roses, sold in one-gallon containers (grown outdoor), and bare root roses from which all soil has been removed during its dormancy. To protect the roots, plastic and sawdust are commonly used. The best time to start the plantation of roses is January, a time when roses are sold bare root. It costs your nursery much less to buy bare root roses than potted ones, and a bare root rose easily settles in the new soil without suffering much transplant shock.





A Cool Customer
In most cases, early spring is the right time to plant the barefoot rose in your flower nursery. Planting in winter is also a good option if the temperature does not fall below 20 degrees. For success, plant the rose soon after you buy it while keeping the roots moist and prevent them from drying by heat.

Morning Glow, Evening Shade
The flower nursery of roses should be located such that the plants can bathe in the sun for at least six hours a day, preferably in the morning to evaporate the dew from the foliage. Some shade in hot-climate afternoons is a comfort to the plant.

Keep it Breezy
Free circulation of air in and around the flower nursery is necessary to prevent fungal attack on the rose plant. Damp and stagnant places with little air circulation can lead to fungal diseases like rust, black spot etc.





Some Elbow Room, Please
As a general rule, each rose plant should stand two feet apart from its neighboring plants. With growth this might be changed, as some shrub roses need a space of six feet. Keep roses distant enough from other plants (bee balm, lilac etc.) that are easy targets of fungal attacks. The rose flower nursery should not lie on a previous rose-plantation site because the soil might be infested with disease-causing agents of previous plants.

Some Leg Room, Too
It is advisable to soak the plants root for several hours before planting in the soil. The planting holes should be deep and at least eighteen inches wide. Mix good soil compost with the native soil in the ratio of 1:2. Making a mound of the mixture in the hole, fix the rose plant in the center and keep the bud union at soil level or, in cold climates, about two inches below the soil.

Salt of the Earth
In May and June, feed the roses in your flower nursery with a tablespoon of Epsom salt around their base to activate growth.