New Seasons Roses

 Read more from Hayden Foulds

As I write this, it is Queens Birthday weekend, the last long weekend for some time but also an important part of any rose lover's calendar.

New seasons roses are starting to arrive into garden retailers all over New Zealand so if you are looking to grow a few roses, or grow a few more, then now is the perfect time to check out what is on offer.

Don't Be Late

It pays to get in early for new seasons roses as you get the best choice of plants on offer. Many of the new and popular varieties will sell out early so it pays to get in early and avoid disappointment. Even better, order your roses in autumn so you can assured of what you are getting.

The old saying 'you get what you pay for' is certainly true when it comes to new seasons roses. Always buy the best as you won't regret it in the long run while 'cheapies' can lead to disappointing results. I would avoid anything wrapped in plastic with the new growth coming away.

New seasons roses are either sold as bare root plants or more likely in containers with potting mix. For bare root plants which you will receive also if you have brought by mail order, it is absolutely critical that plants are kept moist until planting. The biggest cause of roses failing to grow is that they have dried out – characterised by shrivelled or wrinkled stems

A Spot of Advice

If you cannot plant your new season's roses right away, no problem – just heal your plants temporarily into part of your garden until you are ready to plant. Prune back any roots that are damaged as soon as possible.

Containerised plants are much less susceptible to drying out but must still be kept moist if there is no rainfall. Believe it or not, frost causes dehydration of roses so if you have a few frosts and no rain, keep an extra eye on your new season's roses. Unfortunately you won't be able to see the roots on containerised roses but they would have been cut back prior to being potted in the container. Lots of new white roots will be growing away so take care not to damage them when planting.

What should you be looking for with new season's roses?

Select roses that have at least three strong canes between 1 – 2cm in diameter. Some varieties including miniature and patio varieties will have naturally thinner canes. Check the base of the canes where they emerge from the bud union for any damage.

Left: What you should be looking for. Right: Avoid plants with this much damage.

 
Click on the image to view the full size example of what you should look for.

If you are buying standard or weeping roses, make sure the stem is reasonably straight and the head is even. It pays to invest in some good stakes as well as it will save you some grief in the long term.

I'll talk about planting your roses in my next column and also about some of the new varieties coming on the market. Plus tell you about the 2013-14 New Zealand Rose Review which has a lot of information on the newer roses on the market.