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Chuck Adamson
Senior Information Specialist
573-882-6843
adamsoncw@missouri.edu
Published: May 18, 2006
Story Source: Mary Kroening, (573) 882-9633
for Missouri’s climate and soil
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Roses are blooming, but it’s not too late to plant more in home gardens.
April and early May are ideal times for Missouri home gardeners to plant roses, but the ornamentals can be planted throughout the summer. Start by choosing the right varieties for Missouri and pay close attention to watering during hot weather, said Mary Kroening, University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener program coordinator.
Kroening has compiled a list of favorite varieties that are easy to care for, stand up to Missouri’s rapidly changing climate and grow in poor soils. The state is one of the toughest places in the country to successfully grow roses.
"The nice warm temperatures in January, February and March cause roses to break dormancy earlier. Therefore, they’re more susceptible to freezing injury when cold weather returns," Kroening said. "The roses do well in climates south of Missouri because they don’t get that really nasty cold weather. North of here, some rose varieties overwinter more easily because they have very cold weather and roses are not lured out of dormancy too quickly."
Other Missouri rose stressors include high humidity during summer months, which promotes the devastating black spot disease. Clay soils typical in Missouri don’t allow for the good drainage that roses thrive in.
If planting during the summer months, Kroening recommends watering with one gallon of water per plant every two to three days for the first 10 days. Gradually water less frequently until reaching a summer watering schedule of once every 10 days for established plants.
Kroening recommends planting potted roses rather than bareroot plants during the summer. This results in less disturbance to the roots, which causes less transplant stress to the plant.
Her list of favorites is based on personal experience in the home garden, on test plots at the Bradford Research and Extension Center east of Columbia, Mo., and from recommendations of other professionals around the state. Her picks are based on ease of care, hardiness and blooming performance. Most can be purchased at local nurseries or by mail order.
* Buck roses are a species named after the late breeder Griffith Buck, an Iowa State University researcher who bred the plants for cold tolerance, disease resistance and abundant flowering. Buck was successful in breeding for all those traits, creating the varieties that Kroening recommends more than any others. The species includes her all-time favorite rose for Missouri, Earth Song.
"The Earth Song has beautiful shape and the flowers bloom like a classic hybrid tea rose bloom," Kroening said. "Also it blooms through the entire summer and has a high stem that is good for cutting."
Other popular Buck varieties include Prairie Sunrise, Honeysweet, Carefree Beauty, Aunt Honey, Hawkeye Belle, Hi Neighbor and Winter Sunset. "I try to gear home gardeners toward the Buck roses," Kroening said. "Those are always sure-thing roses."
* The Explorer series — the varieties are named after famous explorers — was developed by Canadian breeders to create roses that are disease resistant, winter hardy and have tremendous repeat blooming characteristics.
Popular varieties include Champlain, David Thompson, De Montarville, Henry Hudson, Henry Kelsey, Martin Frobisher, Jens Munk, John Cabot and William Baffin.
* The Parkland series was developed to thrive in climates with extreme winter cold and summer drought. The most popular variety is the Morden shrub rose. Some Parkland varieties have strong black spot resistance.
* Rugosa varieties rank as some of the simplest roses to grow. They’re virtually immune to common rose diseases, pests and winter freeze kill. They perform well in poor soil and are ideal for planting in windy or exposed areas. Varieties in this family include the Hansa, Therese Bugnet, Sara Van Fleet, Grootendorst, Belle Pointevine, and Magnifica.
* Nearly Wild varieties tend to be low-growing, compact shrubs. They’re winter hardy and ideal for small gardens and flower borders.
* Knockout is a variety that’s probably the only rose on Kroening’s list that can be found in the large national chain retail stores. It’s a strong performer that Kroening highly recommends.
"It blooms all summer long and has a nice shape," she said.
* Harrison’s Yellow, also known as Yellow Rose of Texas, is an old favorite, a rare yellow shrub rose variety. Double bright-yellow flowers cover the plant in June, Kroening said.
* Alba is a species of large shrub roses that grow up to 10 feet high and tolerate some shade and poor soils. A favorite variety is the Alba semi-plena, commonly known as the White Rose of York. It’s said to have been the emblem of the House of York in the fifteenth-century Wars of the Roses.
For more information on rose care and varieties, contact Kroening at kroeningm@missouri.edu.
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| The Earth Song rose, of the Buck series, is a favorite variety for planting in Missouri. Photo credit: Mary Kroening photo, University of Missouri |
