How To Grow Roses In Raised Beds

Roses grow the easiest when they are planted in an area that has good drainage. One such place is in a raised flowerbed. Raised beds provide the adequate drainage, but you do have to keep the raised flowerbeds away from shrubs and trees, as they will compete with the rose bushes for water and food. Rose beds that are planted in raised beds also have little to no weeds if the soil is prepared correctly.

Step 1

Use a raised bed that gets about eight hours of sunlight a day, but if the roses are planted in a location that only receives partial sun, it should be the morning sun. The morning sun warms the plants and soil, and dries dew quickly.

Step 2

Plant the roses about three feet apart so that each bush has room to grow. For climbing roses, plant each plant between six and ten feet apart. For miniature roses, plant each plant about two feet apart.

Step 3

Use soil that is 1/3 sandy soil, 1/3 manure and 1/3 topsoil. For each rose bush, mix one cup of lime, bone meal and gypsum together and pour at the base of each plant.

Step 4

Fertilize the roses with a rose food after the plants have bloomed. Fertilizing before the first bloom can damage the roots. Miracle-Gro for rose bushes will provide directions as to how much fertilizer to give and how many times the plant will need the specific plant food. Follow these directions closely.

Step 5

Water the roses in raised beds with up to two inches of water weekly. The depth that the water needs to penetrate will depend if the roots are deep seated or not. It is better to water once or twice a week rather than more frequent watering, which can cause the roots to grow at the surface of the soil. Note: The deeper the water goes in the soil, the deeper the roots will go.

Step 6

Use an insecticide to prevent infestations of bugs. Immunox is common at local nurseries and is sprayed on the roses weekly. Before using the insecticide, plants must be watered first to prevent leaf burning.

Step 7

Prune the rose bushes after the growing season. Prune 1/3 off the branches during the fall months. When spring comes around, prune the stems another 1/3 of the way down. This will promote new growth. Cut away all dead branches.

Step 8

Place about three inches of mulch around the base of the each rose bush. Cover with a burlap bag and tie at the bottom. This will protect the bush from the harsh winter and keep the soil warmer.