Cinnamon rose, May rose, Rosa majalis

Wild plants are anything but boring, as the cinnamon rose that blooms in spring impressively shows with its pink to purple flowers. However, the wild rose species not only thrives in high forests, but has long since conquered domestic gardens. The robust and deciduous plant does not take the demands in terms of location and care too seriously. The cinnamon rose can also be easily planted by hobby gardeners who do not have the famous "green thumb".

location and substrate

The rose plants, which smell slightly of cinnamon, can also be cultivated in home gardens; finding the right location for them is easy. Rosa majalis can cope with direct sunlight, as long as there are only a few hours of sunshine a day. In the wild, cinnamon roses mainly thrive in light deciduous forests. But the May rose can also be found from time to time on bank edges and field edges. The plant even has no problem with dark shady spots, but the growth height often suffers as a result. The plants can reach a height of between 50 and 250 centimeters, depending on the location. No great demands are made on the condition of the soil either. It should be rich in nutrients and profound, so that the lush blossoms of the May roses can unfold optimally. Waterlogging plays no role for the native wild plant, which is why the plant can also be cultivated in a loamy, moist substrate.

watering and fertilizing

Cinnamon roses are extremely tolerant and hardy. Rosa majalis even survives brief flooding, which often occurs after heavy rainfall and compacted soil, unscathed. To promote the growth of the wild rose, you should water regularly in summer and make sure that the root ball of the plants does not dry out. It doesn't matter whether you supply the plants with rainwater or tap water containing lime. Nutrients are the lifeblood of the May rose. A supply of artificial products in the form of liquid or long-term fertilizer is not necessary. In early spring and late summer, mulch the soil and mix larger amounts of compost into the soil. This is enough to provide the ornamental plant with nutrients during the main growing season and to keep it healthy and strong through the cold winter months.

Plant

Like all rose plants, Rosa majalis are deep-rooters. Accordingly, you should also prepare the planting site properly. You can plant cinnamon roses from March to around the beginning of August. Planted at a later point in time, the plants may no longer be able to adequately prepare for the cold season and may freeze to death. Treat the plants to a long bath in the bucket of water before the action. This allows the roots to soak up plenty of water again.

• The planting hole must be twice as wide and deep as the root ball.
• Enhance sandy soils with clay.
• Scatter a handful of compost at the bottom of the hole.
• Mix the excavated earth with hummus.
• Insert roses vertically.
• Fill cavities with substrate.
• Tap carefully, do not compact under any circumstances.
• Sludge the soil properly.

Make caring for native wild plants easier with a watering rim. A gently sloping cone with a flat tip is created from the substrate around the rose stem. This ensures that rainwater and irrigation water can reach the roots of the rose more quickly. To do this, however, the watering edge must be kept free of weeds. The deciduous wild perennials are suitable for planting on the edges of hill beds as well as for fixing hill beds and areas. If you want to cultivate several cinnamon roses next to each other, you should keep a minimum distance of between 30 and 40 centimeters between the individual plants. The plants cannot compete for water and nutrients. At the same time, you make it easier for yourself to take care of the roses.

multiply

The tolerant wild plant can also be cultivated in your own garden without much effort. The disadvantage: If the wild rose feels comfortable with you, it often multiplies uncontrollably by offshoots. A root barrier or the continuous removal of unwelcome young plants curbs this massive spread. To propagate Rosa majalis yourself, you can use seeds, runners and sinkers.

seed

The fruits of the cinnamon rose are extremely rich in vitamin C and are used by many people to make an aromatic tea. Propagation by rose hips is relatively easy, albeit tedious. Sowing takes place in autumn or spring. In order to break the germination inhibition of the seeds, they must first endure a cold spell outdoors or in the refrigerator.

• Collect ripe rose hips.
• Prepare a shallow cultivation container with lean substrate.
• Cut the rose hips into pieces with a knife or scissors.
• Throw out the seed and cover lightly with soil.
• Pour gently and keep moist.

Prick out the seedlings in good time, even before the fine roots of the individual plants grow together. in April or May you can move the young cinnamon roses to their final location in the ornamental bed. Here, too, you should slowly acclimate the plants to direct sunlight.

foothills

Take advantage of the wild roses' strong urge to reproduce and use it to multiply the plants. This method is made more difficult by the fact that the dug up young plants often die after a short time. The problem lies in the insufficiently developed roots of the stolon. Because unlike what is usual with older roses, the young plants do not yet have a root network. The main root, which can absorb nutrients and water, runs horizontally to the mother plant. Dig carefully towards the older perennial and loosen the approximately finger-thick root of the stolon from the soil. This will be buried as deep as possible at the new location. This type of vegetative propagation is preferably carried out in spring so that the young plant can sufficiently acclimate to the new location.

lowering

You need a long, flexible shoot for this method. This is bent down to the ground in a U-shape. The stem is lightly scratched at the point in contact with the substrate. Cover the sinker there about 4 centimeters with soil and weigh it down if necessary. Rooting can take several weeks. Keep the soil evenly moist. As soon as new leaves appear on the sinker, you can cut the shoot off the mother plant. You can do this propagation all year round, even if the formation of the roots takes more time in the cold winter months.

Cut

A regular thinning cut is anything but easy for the spiked garden journeyman. However, you do not have to endure the painful contacts with the plants every year. Prune the vigorous May roses radically every 3 to 4 years. This measure is preferably carried out in early spring or late summer. To protect yourself from the thorns, you should wear long-sleeved clothing and thick gloves.

However, dead shoots or shoots infested with pests should be removed as much as possible. A trick to prevent the thorns of the wild rose from playing fakir with you: grab the shoot as far forward as possible with your fingertips and pull it out. At this point, the thorns are not yet as stiff and pointed as on the rear, older parts of the plant. This will also make it easier for you to separate the shoot from the plant.

hibernate

For the deciduous plants, no special precautions need to be taken for the cold season. However, a thicker layer of bark mulch or brushwood does no harm. Because the slowly decomposing material not only warms the soil, but also upgrades the substrate with important nutrients and minerals.

Conclusion

Rosa majalis is an ideal plant for gardeners who don't have the time and leisure to cultivate breeding roses. The rose plant, which also occurs in the wild, is quite undemanding and therefore suitable for any location. The double flowers of Rosa majalis "Plena" in particular are often found in domestic gardens and parks.

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