Ground cover roses: care of A

Strictly speaking, these are small shrub roses. They stay low and spread by creeping. Their dense branching can suppress weeds, stabilize slopes and transform entire areas into colorful carpets of flowers.

Characteristics

• Plant family: Rose family (Rosaceae)
• Growth: prostrate, wide, upright, bushy, with overhanging shoots
• Height of growth: 25-100 cm
• foliage: dense, deciduous
• Flowers: in clusters, different colors, mostly double, light fragrance
• Flowering time: from late spring to frost
• Main flowering period: June

site conditions

Roses are true sun worshipers and should therefore be as sunny as possible. As long as there is enough light, they are content with a place in the semi-shade. They love open spaces, the air should be able to circulate well at all times, so that the leaves can dry off quickly after a downpour. She doesn't like particularly hot places, nor does she like draughts.

soil claims

Regardless of the variety, the groundcover rose needs a permeable, deep, medium-heavy, loamy to clayey, humus and nutrient-rich soil. A pH between 5.5 and 6.5 is ideal. If necessary, the soil must be prepared accordingly. It should be loosened up well without bringing up the bottom layer of soil. A heavily compacted soil must be loosened more deeply, otherwise there is a risk of waterlogging. Green manure can also be useful. What you should avoid at all costs is planting roses where there are already roses.

Note soil fatigue

Soil fatigue mainly occurs in rose plants when the same species are planted in the same location one after the other. The immediate vicinity of some types of vegetables or fruit trees can also be problematic. The new roses grow poorly, only sprout weakly and the formation of flowers is also clearly restricted. It is all the more important to pay attention to the right location when planting. Otherwise, only a very generous replacement of the floor will help. Roses grow poorly on rose-tired soil, even after more than ten years.

planting guide

When planting, a distinction is made between different root qualities. Both bare-root and container or potted goods are meant. While container roses are grown in pots, bare root roses do not have a root ball.

time

Ground cover roses are best planted in autumn until frost sets in. That way they can take root well into the next season. If the ground is frost-free, planting is also possible between December and February. Some hobby gardeners prefer spring, i.e. mid-March to May. In general, bare-root roses should be planted immediately after purchase. Short-term interim storage should not exceed 3-4 days. Container goods can be planted almost all year round as long as the soil is frost-free. An exception is cuttings, they are usually planted in summer.

Planting in the bed

• Water root ball independently before planting
• Shorten bare-rooted plants above the grafting point
• when planted in autumn approx. 35 cm
• in spring about 20 cm
• also shorten the roots a little
• no shortening necessary for container plants
• Dig a planting pit, at least 40 cm deep and wide
• If necessary, mix the excavated earth with some rose soil
• no compost or other fertilizer for planting
• Loosen the soil in the planting hole well
• Insert ground cover rose in the middle
• fill with excavated earth, press on earth
• Finishing point must be approx. 5 cm covered with soil
• water regularly after planting and for weeks afterwards

After the rose has been watered, it is a good idea to fill it up with enough soil to leave about a hand's breadth sticking out. The mounding should initially protect them from the sun, wind and frost. They are only removed when the rose has sprouted another ten centimetres.

In the planter

• Bucket should be at least 40 cm deep and wide
• Drainage holes in the bottom of the pot for good water drainage
• First equip the pot with drainage
• made of potsherds, gravel or expanded clay
• Plant pruning as for bed planting
• Fill the bucket with one part rose soil
• Insert rose and fill with soil
• Planting depth corresponds to that in the bed
• Gently tap the pot several times while filling
• to fill any cavities in the root area
• Then water the ground cover rose
• replace soil after about three to four years

plant spacing

The planting distances for ground-covering roses vary depending on the variety. Basically, 40-80 cm or two to five plants per square meter or two specimens per linear meter recommended. Flat-lying and bushy growing varieties should be at least 40 cm apart. In the case of those with arching overhanging side shoots, one should orientate oneself to the respective growth height. For a flat ground cover, three to five plants are recommended for short-growing varieties and two to three plants for rather strong-growing ones.

Pour

Immediately after planting, it is thoroughly watered and then in the following weeks or months. regularly in the first year. Later, it only needs to be watered when it is hot and dry in summer, ideally with low-calcium water. It is important to ensure that you only water the root area and not the leaves. With a layer of mulch on the root area, moisture can be retained in the soil for longer. However, you should only mulch in the summer from the second year.

Fertilize

Fertilize for the first time when the ground cover rose has grown and the fresh shoots are about 10-20 cm long. Spread 80-100 g of rose fertilizer per square meter and rake it in. Fertilize existing roses in early spring in the same way. Between May and the end of June, an additional dose of 40-60 g per square meter may be useful. Long-term fertilizers should only be applied in spring. Delayed application in July can lead to frost damage over the winter.

Cut

The ideal time for pruning is in spring. Permanent frosts are then usually no longer an issue and the roses begin to sprout. In particularly mild locations, it can also be blended in autumn.

• Cut generally every three to four years
• in the spring, remove frozen, diseased, dead and wild shoots
• shorten all others by about two-thirds
• cut about five millimeters above an outer bud
• Cut off one or two old main shoots to encourage new growth
• more radical cut every four to five years
• cut back up to 15 cm
• Remove faded flowers regularly

hibernate

While groundcover roses are hardy, they should still be protected from cold and frost, especially during the first winter. Before the first frost, you pile them up about 20 cm high with soil, compost or bark mulch. Alternatively, you can also cover them with fir branches. The winter protection should be removed from around the middle/end of March. Leaving it on the plant for too long can cause rot.

multiply

cuttings

• best time during the growing season
• between June and early August
• cut from fresh shoots of this year
• at least one flower at the end of the shoot should be open
• Medium range cuttings material most suitable
• each cutting should have 2-3 eyes
• Cut off the shoot tips along with the flowers and buds
• Remove all leaves except for the top one
• ready cuttings about pencil length
• put individually in pots with potting soil
• only one eye and top sheet should still be sticking out
• Lightly press and water the substrate

After watering, the pots and cuttings are covered with a plastic hood and placed in a shady place. The cover should be removed every day or two, the whole thing ventilated and watered if necessary. If a new shoot appears, the rooting was successful and the cutting can be transplanted into the garden a few weeks later.

sticks

• Propagation of cuttings during dormancy
• Cut sticks between October and November
• only use mature wood
• Divide the woody shoot into sticks that are 17-20 cm long
• then defoliate completely
• plug directly into the ground at their final location
• If necessary, thin the soil with sand before sticking it in
• top eye should look out of the ground
• Keep the soil moist from now on
• Fleece cover protects against frost

fungal diseases

If the roses are too dense, too wet or if the air cannot circulate properly, fungal diseases can occur. This can be rose rust, black spot, powdery mildew or bark spot disease. As a rule, affected parts are cut down to the healthy wood and the plants are treated with an appropriate fungicide.

Aphids, rose sawfly, rose sawfly

Damage caused by the most common pests is mainly seen on the leaves and buds. Here, too, it is advisable to cut off and dispose of infested parts of the plant. Spraying with preparations containing neem oil helps against aphids. Otherwise, approved plant protection products against sucking insects can be used to combat them.

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