Ground cover rose: description
Roses are a genus of plants belonging to the Rosaceae family. Ground cover roses are very popular. They are very diverse and are low sprawling plants that form a dense carpet of branches and leaves. A long-term and profusely flowering ground cover rose, it grows to a height of approximately 50-60 cm and a width of 80 cm. They can also be grown in large containers.
Modern cultivars are generally characterized by continuous profuse flowering, depending on the cultivar, from June until the first frost. Their dense and low growth allows them to decorate and fill empty spaces, create colorful borders and fill any type of soil with a real cascade of flowers.
Continuous abundant flowering
Basically, they have spiky stems with dense glossy foliage, a powerful root system. Single or double flowers can be of different colors, shapes and sizes, and can also have a characteristic smell.
rose ground cover cultivation
Ground cover roses are low maintenance, bloom profusely, are hardy, disease resistant and grow quickly. Under the influence of adverse factors, they lose their decorative effect, but do not die. Care for ground cover roses should be systematic, if they are not looked after for a long time, the flowers may degenerate.
Landing
Roses love the sun and protected areas. They require permeable, and slightly moist soil, rich in nutrients with a slightly acidic reaction. Strong alkaline soil is of little use.
Before planting, the soil must be cultivated: dig up 6 weeks before planting so that it has time to sink. For spring planting prepare the site in the fall. Planting holes are filled with prepared substrate. Humus is added to sandy soil, and peat is added to clay soil.
Additional Information! Ground cover varieties of roses with closed roots are planted at any time, and plants with an open root system – in spring and autumn. All broken, weak and old shoots are removed from the bush, and healthy ones are shortened with an oblique cut at a height of 10-15 cm above a healthy outer bud. Damaged, blackened roots are also removed and healthy ones are cut to about 30 cm.
A landing pit is dug with a diameter of 60 cm and a depth of about 30 cm. A little planting mixture is poured into the bottom of the pit, and the roots are spread on it. Compact the soil and water abundantly.
Planting roses
Mulching the soil around the trunk will prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture, weeds will grow less, and the mulch will become additional fertilizer.
Watering
The planted rose is often watered during the first two weeks. During the dry period, it is advisable to keep the soil slightly moist to avoid dehydration of young roots. Rooted spray roses are watered only when there has been no rain for a long time, and the soil has dried thoroughly. Water abundantly, at least 10 liters of water should be poured under each bush.
Note! Ground cover roses tolerate relative dryness better than stagnant water, which leads to suffocation and rotting of the roots. A long root can extract moisture from the lower layers of the soil.
Frequent and shallow distribution of water is impractical during hot and dry periods. The water quickly evaporates before the roots have time to absorb it. In addition, small and frequent moisture stimulates the development of the root system on the surface, which can be a danger of dehydration and damage.
top dressing
For long and abundant flowering, ground cover roses require regular top dressing. It is recommended to feed them 7 times per season. In the year of planting, the ground cover rose does not need to be fertilized if fertilizers have been applied to the planting hole. Starting from the second year, nutrition must be replenished.
After the winter period, they are fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer. During the period of bud formation and before the flowers open, a mineral complex (special fertilizer for roses) is added.
At the end of July, after the first wave of flowering, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied for the last time so that they cause the growth of new shoots that will not mature until winter. To increase winter hardiness in August-September, they are watered with phosphorus and potash fertilizers,
Pruning and rejuvenation
Overgrown branches should be controlled with pruning at the end of winter. Bushes planted in autumn do not need pruning. In the future, it is necessary to form a crown, cut off dead and diseased shoots.
Spring pruning, which is carried out before bud break, is the basis for abundant and prolonged flowering. Remove ¾ of the plant. It is important to remove faded parts during flowering. After summer pruning, the plant begins to bloom again until the first frost.
The old growth is pruned every spring, and every 6-7 years the branches of the entire bush are cut, leaving 10-15 cm. This pruning method rejuvenates ground cover roses, and maintenance will be much easier if used.
Pruning ground cover roses
Winter protection
In severe frosts, the bushes are covered with any covering material, not forgetting that moderate watering is necessary even in winter. Frost reduces soil moisture, so plants dry out more often than they freeze.
Reproduction of ground cover roses
Roses are propagated by cuttings, layering, seeds. Seed propagation is interesting only to breeders. Cuttings and layering are not difficult for beginners.
Reproduction by layering. On a mature, flexible shoot, an incision is made about 8 cm long. A node is dug in the ground, pressed down, and watered regularly. At the end of the next summer or early autumn, the young plant is separated from the bush and planted in a new permanent place.
The ground cover variety is easily grown from cuttings. Cuttings are taken from the mother plant when the plant is not flowering. You should cut off well-ripened green shoots as thick as a pencil. The top cuttings are not suitable, they are much thinner and not yet ripe.
Growing from cuttings
Cut off a part of the stem about 15 cm long. Each cutting should have 2 knots – the place where the leaves are attached to the stem. Flowers and thorns must be removed, leaving only 3 shortened top sheets. The cuttings must be immersed in rooting powder for 2 hours to stimulate the appearance of roots.
In a shady place they are placed at a distance of 15 cm so that the kidney under the bottom sheet almost touches the ground. In autumn, the rooted plant is transplanted to a permanent place.
Ground cover rose varieties
There are many varieties of ground cover roses.
- Berenice is a variety with pink flowers without thorns and is therefore particularly suitable for growing in pots.
- Brondment is a sprawling bush, its height reaches 60-75 cm. The variety is resistant to diseases, winters well. Continuously blooms with double yellow cupped flowers up to 7 cm in diameter. They appear singly or in clusters of 5.
- Little Buckaroo is a continuously flowering variety. The flowers are small, double, with a white center, slightly fragrant.
- Rosa’Sea Foam is characterized by branching and can be up to 3 meters wide. The branches are arched, drooping, soft. Continuous and abundant flowering continues until the first frost. Creamy white flowers in clusters. The foliage is small, dark green, glossy.
- Avon – with continuous re-blooming produces small flowers, deep pink, semi-double, pure white buds. Suitable for growing in pots.
- Blanc Meilandécor is a beautiful, compact, shrub, 50-80 cm high, up to 120 cm wide. Produces large and full pure white flowers, with over 60/70 petals. Inflorescences of 3-5 flowers completely cover the bush.
- Rodin is a profusely flowering shrub with dark pink semi-double flowers collected in inflorescences. The foliage is lush, dark green.
- Surrey is a low-growing variety, the height of the bush reaches 30-40 cm. It blooms all season with pale pink flowers, with a darker center. The flowers are terry, small, about 3.5 cm in diameter with an open calyx, collected in brushes of 5-10 pieces.
- Kent is a popular ground cover rose that forms a beautiful, neat shrub that requires little to no pruning. Blooms profusely and continuously throughout the season. Semi-double flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, collected in brushes of 5-10 pieces.
These roses are very resistant to pests and diseases, so they are suitable for creating rose gardens.
