Question
Hi, I tried growing roses in my back yard for years they were mostly bush roses (I guess) well they never took just rotted anyways my daughter bought me a rose plant last year and I planted it in the front. It grew like the blazzes! It is a vine with thorns and loaded with deep almost burgandy roses!!!!!!!! I never paid much attention to what kind they are because I never had any luck. You can be 12' away from them and you can smell them . I love them would like to know their name and NOW would like to know how to care for them. I have done nothing the vines are about 15' long and I have them trained in an arch they are so beautiful! Please help me not kill these roses I have tons of buds coming!

Answer
Debbie, How wonderful that your rose has done so well in your care.  I agree, there is nothing like that strong rose fragrance while you're standing outside.

It would be a very good thing if you could give this rose a name.  Some roses have very precise requirements.  If you know what rose you have, you will be able to give it the best possible care.  

There are some "usual" rose diseases that I can guarantee you will have to deal with sooner or later.  It's to be expected.  And has nothing to do with any mistakes you might make.  Aphids for instance just appear out of nowhere, and suddenly take over.  Same thing with Blackspot and Mildew.  And then there are mystery bugs which you will probably be writing about at some point, and you have to get rid of those.

So you can see, these are sometimes tricky.  

You did not mention what state you are writing from, and those rose afflictions vary in different parts of the country.

Since you have this beautiful Rose bush, which sounds like a very strong and fragrant climber, why don't you buy a book that will give you long term information to make YOU the expert on this rose.  

One of the top new volumes in this area is also one of my favorites, "Growing Roses Organically: Your Guide to Creating an Easy-Care Garden Full of Fragrance and Beauty" by Barbara Wilde.  This is getting a lot of attention.  I like it because it does not require that you buy up a ton of unhealthy chemicals that will contaminate your yard.  You can get it now on Amazon.com used from about $7.50. And the American Rose Society's 2003 Encyclopedia is marked down steeply right now, too.  It has beautiful photographs.  You might see yours in there somewhere! Go to www.amazon.com to see them.

Do you drink coffee, Debbie?

Go down to Starbucks and ask for as many bags of their used coffee grounds as you can take home.  They have special silver bags that they give people for FREE.  Put this black gold around the base of your new rosebush.  Delicate rose roots tend to stay near the surface, so scratch it in very carefully.  The ground underneath will look dark and rich.  These grounds attract earthworms.  And they repel slugs.  It's the best new treatment you can give them.  And it won't cost you a dime.  

I am not kidding here, Debbie.  

Next, go out and get something called Superphosphate at your local garden center.  Superphosphate is a great boost for roots and flowers.  Read the directions on the package and make sure to water it in carefully.  Do this as long as the Rose is blooming.

This is not really practical, but to the extent you can, REMOVE DEAD BLOSSOMS from the stems.  Roses are very sensitive to ethylene gas, which is produced by spent blooms.  You will also keep the plant from producing seeds, which take energy away from production of more Roses.  Don't want to do that!

Make sure you water your Rose.  Don't water it every day.  Water it when it is dry.  Then water it very well.  Don't worry about drowning it.  If the soil is dry, it is ready for a drink.  

Be careful not to splash water on the leaves.  And since you probably will do that at least a little, make sure you water in the morning, and let the leaves dry out during the day.  By night, they should have totally dried.  

If you cut any Roses for a vase indoors, cut them in the morning with a sharp scissors or razor.  Cut at a slant and put them in a vase with some bleach and a little table sugar.  The bleach will kill bacteria for several days (Roses are very sensitive to this).  The sugar will deliver more food to sustain the blooms longer.  Cut just as they have newly opened.  Keep them out of the sun after you cut them; don't put them on a windowsill or you will shorten the life.  

While at the garden center, pick up a very good sprayer.  You will need this at some point to deal with some Rose diseases and problems.  

Any questions?

I'm here!