Hybrid Tea Roses are the "grande dame" of roses. They've been around since 1867 and have the reputation of being hard to care for. A hybrid tea rose is a medium-sized bush rose that has a fragrant bouquet and elegant bloom. This rose has one bloom per stem and, contrary to belief, is fairly easy to care for. Generally the proper care and feeding of this rose plant will lead to an abundance of blooms and a very healthy plant.

Planting

Plant your roses in slightly acidic soil, which is soil with the pH of 6.5 to 7.3. High alkaline (not as acidic) soil produces roses with yellow leaves. Test your soil in the spring. You can buy a tester at your local nursery for around $10 (as of Nov. 2009). Proper pH will keep the chemistry of the soil in balance. Till your soil at least 18 inches down and apply any amendments as per the needs of the soil test. Roses love loam soil, which is comprised of equal parts silt, clay and sand. Once your soil is in the proper condition, plant your roses 3 feet apart. Roses do not like competition and require room to breathe and grow. Plant roses in a sunny area where they will receive 4 to 5 hours of sun daily.

Watering

During the hot summer months roses generally require daily watering. Roses require 1-2 inches of water each week. Water in the morning to prevent spread of diseases. During the summer months stick your finger in the soil; if it is dry, you should water. (This is important in some parts of the Southwest.) Roses should be watered deeply, to cut down on the frequency of watering. They love their soil to be moist. Deep watering promotes deep roots, and this will cut your watering amount down. In normal conditions with deep roots you can water as little as once or twice a week. Roses prefer to have water delivered at the base of the plant. The preferred method of watering at the base is to use soaker hoses or a drip irrigation system. Too much spray watering promotes diseases. For example, black leaf spot is spread by the splashing of water.

Pruning

Two methods for pruning roses exist: pruning of dead blooms (or dead-heading), and annual pruning during the dormant season. Prune dead blooms to keep the rose producing blooms during the growing season. Cut the rose 12 inches down to the nearest outside bud. This can be found by looking for a five-leaf pattern. Find the pattern and you will find the bud. The bud is a growth bud. This is where the next stem will be produced. It looks like a small thorn. Annual pruning occurs during the winter in February. This is done to promote a well-shaped plant in the spring. During this time, remove all dead canes. Then prune all crossing canes in the interior of the plant. Next prune all new canes up to 50 percent. Lastly, prune for overall shape. You want the middle of the bush to be free of canes so the plant can breathe. The ideal plant shape should be that of a "U".

Keep the Bed Clean

Rake the dead leaves and flower pedals as often as possible. This helps to maintain healthy roses. The proliferation of dead leaves is how some diseases like rust--which is where the plant develops orange spots on the leaves--spreads. Roses do not like competition, and weeds are competition. Keep the bed well-weeded. In the early spring and during the winter put a fresh blanket of redwood bark mulch to keep the weeds down.

Rose Fertilizers

The trend in fertilizers is toward the organic varieties. Organic fertilizers are made from animal or vegetable matter. Synthetic nitrogens are good for the plant blooms but in the end are bad for the soil, leaving heavy salt deposits which ultimately destroy the soil. Here is an example of an organic fertilizer mix (from Diane Lindley of Diane's Seeds); use this every 6-8 weeks during the summer time for great blooms: 2 tablespoons of powdered fish, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of molasses, 3 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt, 1 tablespoon of maxicrop Kelp extract. Combine in a quart-sized bottle, then put in a 2-gallon watering can. Fill the can and apply to the drip zone, which is the area immediately around the base of the plant. Apply only in the evening.

Source:

Pruning

Planting roses

watering of roses

Resource:

Rose Magazine, Fertilizers.

Diane Linsley recipe