Basics of Desert Roses

Roses in the desert? Can you really grow Grandma's roses in the heat of the desert? The answer to both questions yes. In fact Arizona ranks third in rose production. The dry, hot climate is ideal for growing beautiful roses, and produces large crops to ship throughout the United States. There are hundreds of varieties to pick from for the home gardener. Roses have always been a favorite flower for many generations of gardeners. They are lasting symbols of love and friendship and a .

When To Plant Roses

October through January is an ideal time to plant desert roses. Planting during these times will give the roses significant time and strength to develop roots to endure the summer heat.

Where to Plant Roses

Roses love sun, and need 6-8 hours of this golden feast. They also enjoy light afternoon shade, and perform extremely well with an eastern exposure. It is intrinsic that roses need decent drainage. They don't like to have wet feet. Choose a location that drains well, and add a plentiful amount of pumus, peat moss, and compost. If soil is heavy clay consider planting roses in raised beds.

Selecting Roses

Bare root roses are graded with numbers such as 1, 1 1/2, 2, 3 etc. These numbers are strictly graded, and monitored. 1 and 1 ½ are the best roses, because they generally have more canes and are the oldest, more reliable of the other numbers. Number 2 roses are not recommended because they have a more difficult time withstanding the heat of the desert summers.

When buying roses look for plants with healthy, green, thick stems. A healthy plant in the beginning will guarantee more success later. There are many reliable mail-order companies that will only sale Grade 1 rose plants, and will guarantee their plants to perform well. A tip is to avoid the big box-type stores because their roses are often neglected, mislabeled and are left to dry out. A dry root is a dead or dying root and means stressed roses.

Container Roses are a great option for the visual gardener having trouble imagining the way a rose will look in their garden. When shopping for container roses, hunt for healthy, thick canes, and green leaves. Avoid roses with legs, (long spindly canes) and twiggy growth.

Roses are a hardy plant that does beautifully in the desert. Once you take the time to plant them correctly, with a little fertilizer every few weeks and watered 2-3 feet deep you will be pleased with your addition of roses to your landscape. Don't panic if you kill one, or one doesn't perform the way you want. Part of being a gardener is accepting that sometimes things just don't work and try again. It is well worth the effort.