Wyoming Prairie Rose Society
Planting Roses
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Why do roses often struggle in Wyoming?

Alkaline Soil
Many plants can tolerate alkaline soil; roses do not. Roses prefer a soil pH from 6.5 to 6.7. Many Wyoming soils are low in organic matter and this affects roses as well. Heavy clay usually indicates poor drainage, while sandy soils drain too fast. When temperatures stay low for extended periods of time, many processes in the soil are restricted until the temperature goes up. Bacteria and fungus go dormant in the soil when it is too cold.

Ancestry
Roses with dominant china rose ancestry are often too tender to survive in Wyoming. Other types of roses, such as damasks, originate from warm climates and may also be unable to withstand very cold winters. Roses with rugosa, wichuriana, gallica, blanda and eglanteria ancestry are usually very hardy.

Dry Climate
Low humidity is a factor which makes many plants struggle to survive in Wyoming. Water in the air is necessary for plants to regulate the rate at which they release moisture from the stomata under their leaves to the atmosphere. When humidity is low, plants release more water to the air, trying to maintain a certain moisture level on the skin of its surfaces and in the air around the plant. This normally helps prevent sun damage and wind burn. Here, plants often have brown edges on the leaves and flowers for just that reason.

Cold Conditions
Wyoming is cold for an extended time throughout the year. When the temperature is below 400, roses do not perform well. Flowers may lack fragrance, color or size, especially if not fed and watered properly. Optimal conditions for roses are between 70 and 900, which will occur in Wyoming, if not for very long. Some warm seasons jump from cold to hot in a short period of time. This also strains the plants and causes damage to cells.

High Elevation
This element is simply a factor of living at high elevations. Thinner air for people also means thinner air for plants. People use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide. Plants use carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. At high elevations the ratio of carbon dioxide is proportionally less at the same rate as oxygen. This means plants have to work harder to absorb the CO2 they need. Extra effort to exchange gases takes a toll on roses and can be a factor in their decline.

Late/Early Freezes
There is no time more dangerous for plants than in the warming cycle of spring when a hard freeze occurs. Roses for the most part are native to warmer climates than we can offer; so the plants tend to bud out earlier that we can provide reliable conditions, setting in motion the absorption of water from the soil and sap moving through the plant. When a late freeze occurs, the liquid becomes frozen and destroys the cells it moves through, creating damage which stresses the plant and often kills either the portion at the tips or in some cases, the entire cane. Flower buds are especially vulnerable, which is why fruit trees often do not produce any fruit. In the fall, early freezes in September and October can stop a rose’s flowering in its tracks. The earlier it freezes, the more damage happens, because the plants are farther away from dormancy when the days are longer.

Short Season
By the time it gets warm in Wyoming other places already have plants blooming. Once roses have warmed up, absorbed enough food and established adequate leaf growth to begin flowering, the season is often half over and if the cold season comes early, a gardener may get very few flowers. This is why single blooming roses are often the best bet for spectacular floral displays. There are also some roses which will repeat the bloom, later in the season. However, it is possible that could be caught by a freeze in the fall. Our autumn weather has been warmer the last few years, but this is not something you can count on.

Wind
Wind is the bane of roses’ existence in Wyoming. Not only does it increase the rate of transpiration, it creates stress in plants which over time may contribute to its decline or death. In trees, wind movement produces a substance called lignin, which over time strengthens the trunk of the tree and helps it stand upright. If rose canes do not die back, the older canes will become woody and somewhat resistant to wind damage. At times, the stiffness works against the plant, making the canes susceptible to snapping in high winds. Wind protection is essential, especially in the winter months when cold also stresses roses.

Planting New Roses
Select planting sites before roses are purchased or arrive, if coming by mail. Look for a position where it will get at least six hours of sun per day. East and south locations are ideal; however you can plant on the north side if you have enough wind protection. West locations are the most difficult to protect, as most of the wind in the winter is from this direction. That said, even the west side can be utilized if you bury the plant each winter.
Newly purchased roses must be kept moist until planting. Bare root roses should be moistened regularly until planting. If the roses arrive too soon to plant, soil can be placed in a container to cover the roots. Keep the soil moist and in an area where freezes will not affect the plant.
Prepare the ground ahead of time by soaking the planting bed with soil acidifier (sometimes called fish fertilizer). Once a month during the season, reapply, especially if the roses are showing chlorosis. The leaves will turn yellow and may have green veins showing. Iron chelates may also be added to give the plants a boost. It is also good to mix in organic material such as manure and peat moss ahead of time, allowing the bacteria in the soil to work their magic and break the material down into elements usable by plants.
Have the hole dug and ready for the plants when they come. Planting holes for roses should be large – 3 to 5 feet wide by 3 feet deep. Add plenty of organic matter to the removed soil and mix in rose food granules at the same time. Amend the entire bed the roses will be in, not just the hole. Mix in rose food granules; as the roots grow, they will find the food. Take care not to leave air spaces. Fill the hole partway and tamp the soil down. Fill in more soil and tamp, until the soil is almost level with the surrounding bed.
If planting grafted roses, bury the graft four inches below ground level. This helps protect the graft; you may get a few extra years from the plant.
When planting bare root roses, take care to spread the roots out in the hole and press soil gently around them. Remove broken segments.
Roses in pots should be removed from the container and placed in the hole. Sometimes it is necessary to cut the container off the root ball. If the plant is root bound, gently rub the outside of the root ball with your hand
Soak the hole well. Use soil acidifier, plant starter or liquid fish fertilizer in the water. If the soil sinks, add more to fill in.
Cover the surface with mulch, bark, straw or shavings to retain moisture.
Remove ALL flower buds. Flowers take a great deal of energy to produce and you don’t want to spend that force on bloom the first year. In order to get the plant to establish well, you only want it to produce leaves and canes. That means, as flower buds appear, you must pick them off. The smaller the buds are when removed, the less energy is spent on them.
Water the newly planted rose thoroughly. If you are sprinkling from above, it is best to do it early in the day. There is less of a problem here with black spot and diseases than many other places, but you want all the best conditions for your rose.
Do not remove any canes or leaves unless there is damage or if the cane is sticking out where someone could get hurt. In Wyoming, roses need every bit of leaf surface it can produce to photosynthesize and make food to establish the plant.
Water daily, until you see new leaf growth appear and then water a minimum of three times a week during the season.
Use liquid fertilizer regularly to help promote growth. The nutrients in liquids are most quickly available to the plants. Dilute according to directions; you don’t want to burn the roots.
Watch for pests attacking the plants. Use systemic or soap sprays to control. Do NOT use systemic if you want to eat the flowers or rose hips.
Established Roses
If moving an established rose from one spot to another, dig the new hole before uprooting the plant. The best time to move roses is before the leaf buds open.
Do not prune until the leaves begin to emerge; this shows which canes didn’t survive the winter. Prune to the node below the damage.
Feed only after the leaves have unfurled with organic material, rose fertilizer, granules or fish fertilizer. All roses need either balanced fertilizer or a rose fertilizer at the beginning of the season. Single bloomers, repeat bloomers and continual bloomers all have different requirements as the season progresses.
Single bloom roses need heavy feeding from the time they begin to leaf out until the bloom is finished. A fertilizer that is balanced (20-20-20) or higher in nitrogen (20-10-10) is best at this time; usually May and June. Once they are finished, a fertilizer higher in phosphorus is best; usually July and August. (10-20-10). When getting them ready to go dormant, no nitrogen should be given (0-10-10) in September and October.
Repeat bloomers can be given the balanced fertilizer or one higher in nitrogen until the second bloom is finished. Then a fertilizer high in phosphorus should be give until time to prepare for dormancy. Then, no nitrogen should be given.
Continual blooming roses should be fed heavily throughout the summer with balanced fertilizer or one with more nitrogen. In mid-August, a fertilizer high in phosphorus can be given; then in October no nitrogen should be given.

Cheyenne, Wyoming