How to grow roses in gardens and pots, including from cuttings and seeds.

You can buy potted rose plants from the nursery almost all year round, except for winter, when they’re sold as bare-rooted roses. Bare-rooted roses can also be bought online, direct from the growers and breeders – browse and order through their catalogues in late autumn or early winter. And if you have family or friends who grow roses, read on to see how you can also grow roses from cuttings or seeds.

Location

Plant roses in a spot that receives 6-8 hours of full sun.

Soil

Roses love rich, well-draining soils. Prior to planting, enrich the soil with plenty of organic matter, like Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser.

Fertiliser

Once new growth appears in early spring, feed weekly throughout the growing season with a complete fertiliser like Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food. It’s high in potassium to encourage flowering.

Water

Water regularly and deeply throughout the warmer months. Ensure you mulch well with an organic mulch like sugarcane or lucerne to help keep the soil moist.

Pests and diseases

Roses are highly susceptible to the fungal disease Rose Black Spot. This fungus causes black spots to form on the foliage and if not treated, can spread and cause leaves to die. Spray early in the season with Yates Rose Gun Black Spot & Insect Killer or Yates Rose Shield Concentrate – these products contain a systemic fungicide that can help protect your roses from diseases like black spot and rust. To reduce the risk of infection, avoid overhead watering and treat at first sign of the disease.

Aphids, scale and mealy bugs also love roses. Treat aphids and mealy bugs with Yates Rose Gun Black Spot & Insect Killer or Yates Rose Shield Concentrate. To control scale, you will need to spray with Yates Pest Oil.

Maintenance

Remove spent flowers regularly to help encourage more blooms. In summer, lightly prune roses to encourage a second flush of blooms in autumn. Trim off around one-third of the overall growth and feed well with Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food.

Winter pruning

Prune roses in the depths of winter, cutting them back to around knee height. After pruning, spray with Yates Lime Sulphur to help clean up any pests and diseases and give the roses a fresh start to the new season.

How to grow roses in a garden

Bare rooted roses (roses which are packed into plastic bags filled with sawdust) are available for planting in winter, whereas potted roses can be planted at other times of the year.

Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Enrich the soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. If the soil is clay based, add gypsum and fork in well.
Dig a hole around 30cm wide and 30cm deep and create a small mound of soil in the centre of the hole. It is essential that the hole is large enough for the roots to spread out naturally.
Remove plant from pot or packaging, remove excess soil and prune off any damaged or broken roots. Then, carefully spread the roots evenly over the mound.
Backfill hole with soil, ensuring the graft union (where the stem joins onto the rootstock) is 5cm above the top of the soil. Adjust if necessary and firm the soil.
Water in well and mulch with organic mulch, such as sugar cane or pea straw.
Once shoots or leafy growth starts to appear, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food.
Cut flowers to enjoy inside the home and remove spent flowers – this will help promote more blooms.
Prune roses back by two-thirds in winter, removing dead branches and any stems growing inwards – an open, vase shape will help with light and air circulation.

How to grow roses in a pot

You don’t need a large space to have your very own rose garden. Many roses are perfectly suited to growing in pots, where they can be beautifully displayed on a veranda, courtyard or balcony. One of the many benefits of growing roses in pots is that they can be moved into the spotlight while they’re in full bloom. If you missed out on planting a bare rooted rose during winter, many gorgeous rose varieties are available in pots from garden centres during spring.

Choose a pot that is at least 500mm wide and deep (miniature roses can grow in a smaller pot). Position the pot in full sun.
Fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix. Remove and/or push soil to the side to create a planting hole. Use the excess soil to create a mound in the centre of the hole.
Remove the rose from its pot or packaging, remove excess soil and prune off any damaged or broken roots. Then, carefully spread the roots evenly over the mound.
Backfill hole with potting mix, ensuring the graft union (where the stem joins onto the rootstock) is 5cm above the top of the soil. Adjust if necessary, firm the soil and water well.
Once shoots or leafy growth starts to appear, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food.
Cut flowers to enjoy inside the home and remove spent flowers – this will help promote more blooms.
Prune roses back by two-thirds in winter, removing dead branches and any stems growing inwards – an open, vase shape will help with light and air circulation.
Roses have large root systems, so it’s ideal to re-pot every couple of years into larger pots to prevent them becoming root-bound.

How to grow roses from cuttings

Roses can be propagated and grown from cuttings. You can take softwood cuttings in late spring or semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer (wood is relatively firm but still fairly flexible). It may be a few or many years before they flower, so if you’re patient and keen to try, here’s how:

1. Cut lengths between 25-30cm long, ensuring you make the cut just below a node (the bump on the stem, where leaves emerge). Remove flowers and lower leaves, leaving one leaf at the top of the cutting.
2. Fill a pot or deep tray with propagating sand. Use a dowel or similar to poke planting holes in the mix.
3. Dip the base of the cuttings into rooting hormone, like Yates Clonex Rooting Hormone Gel – Purple and insert into the preformed holes. Gently firm the sand around the stems.
4. Water lightly and position in a warm brightly lit spot, out of direct sunlight. You can cover the pot or tray with a plastic bag – use sticks to prop it up to prevent it from being in contact with the stem and leaves.
5. Water to keep the soil moist. Once they have rooted – perhaps in early spring – plant up roses in individual pots filled with Yates Premium Potting Mix.

How to grow roses from seeds

Growing roses from seeds is more difficult than from cuttings. Seeds form in rose hips – small berry-like structures which may appear after flowering, if pollination is successful. The seeds may not be true to type (the same as the mother plant), especially if the plant is grafted or a hybrid. Still, if you wish to try, here’s how:

Remove rose hips from bush plant when they turn red, orange or brown.
Cut rose hips open with a knife and remove the seeds. Clean the pulp from the seeds, wrap them in a moist paper towel and store in a plastic container. Place the container in the fridge – don’t forget to mark what it is so it isn’t accidentally thrown out – and leave for 2 months.
Remove the seeds from the fridge and plant to a depth of 2.5cm in a tray or pot filled with Yates Seed Raising Mix. Water gently and position in a warm bright spot.
Water regularly over the next 4-6 weeks to help keep the soil moist. Seeds should sprout after 3-4 weeks. When seedlings are 8-10cm tall, transplant them into individual pots filled with Yates Premium Potting Mix and water in well.

Growing tips

Plant bare rooted roses in winter and potted roses at other times of the year.
When buying bare rooted roses, check that the stems, which may be bright green or reddish brown in colour, are smooth and free from wrinkling.
Prior to planting bare rooted roses, soak the roots in a bucket of water to hydrate them and remove any soil.
Don’t buy rose plants until you are ready to plant.
Maintain a layer of organic mulch at the base of the plant to help conserve moisture (keep mulch a few centimetres away from the stem).
Remove spent flowers from roses regularly to keep the bush tidy and promote more flowers.
To help minimise disease, water roses in the morning and water around the base of the plant rather than over the foliage.
Prune and remove any black spot affected leaves from the plant and on the ground. Spray the bush thoroughly with a fungicide, like Yates Rose Gun Black Spot & Insect Killer to help control the disease and stop the spread.
For established plants, dress the soil every season (except winter) with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser.
Remove rose hips (fruits) from the plant as they drain energy from the plant and inhibit the growth of more flowers.

Different types of roses include:

Hybrid Tea roses
Floribunda roses
Miniflora roses
Shrub roses
Standard roses
Weeping standards
Climbing, rambling and pillar roses
Carpet roses
Old Garden and heritage roses

Project guides & articles

Types of Roses

There are many different types of roses. To observe and learn about roses in your district, visit your local public rose gardens. There you can discover landscape ideas and new introductions and smell and touch rare and unusual varieties. Look for roses you like and observe their growing habits.