They’re difficult to care for, hard to grow, downright impossible for the subtropical climate. At times, the future looks anything but rosy for roses in Florida.
But is all this doom and gloom true?
It doesn’t have to be, according to rose experts. If you follow some simple guidelines, you can grow roses equal to those in the North.
Just like real estate, the three most important words are location, location, location. Roses are sun lovers and require at least 6 hours of sun daily. An eastern exposure is preferred and they should be planted in an open area with good air circulation to minimize fungal problems. Roses hate wet feet so avoid low lying areas; a raised bed may be the answer for areas with drainage problems.
Roses grow much bigger in Florida because of the long growing season. Space hybrid teas and floribundas three to four feet apart and polyanthas two to three feet apart. Landscape rose shrubs should be three to four feet apart. Allow a 3-foot wide bed for a single row of roses and three to four feet for each additional row.
Planting holes should be two feet deep and two feet across. A good planting mixture would include half organic material – peat moss, shredded bark, old leaves and composted cow manure. The other half should contain a loamy soil mix of 20 percent sand and 80 percent muck.
In Florida, most repeating roses will bloom five to seven cycles of two weeks each. I love the old-fashioned repeat blooming roses best because they require little care beyond fertilizing. They generally bloom in clusters and the flowers open at different times. One drawback: You end up with a mix of new flowers and shedding blooms in one cluster.
Shrub roses developed in the north, such as ‘Simplicity’ and ‘Carefree Beauty,’ are popular for hedging. They last about three to four years on their own roots.
But the key to lasting roses in Florida is buying the proper rootstock, which can increase lifespan four to five times. It’s best to buy locally and avoid mail-order companies that use inappropriate rootstocks.
For example, avoid ‘Multiflora’ and ‘Dr. Juey,’ suitable for parts of the country not plagued with nematodes. Nematodes, common in South Florida, reduce the lifespan of these grafted roses to two to four years.
I have just planted ‘Carefree Wonder,’ a northern selection grafted onto Fortuniana rootstock. It should last 15 to 20 years.
If you do not want to do a lot of gardening and like shrub roses, consider ‘Louis Phillippe.’ This so-called cracker rose is found around many old Florida houses and is a reliable bloomer. It grows easily from cuttings and does not need to be grafted. The 5to 6-foot high plant is not too thorny and produces clusters of dark red flowers throughout the year.
‘Spring Song’ is a pink cluster type similiar to ‘Louis Phillippe’ but not as durable. It’s a smaller plant and occassionally the tips of the branches may die and need to be pruned.
The climber ‘Marchel Neil’ is a wonderful, vigorous, repeat blooming yellow rose blushed with pink. It literally climbed over the roof of my house and covered the back half of the building. Like ‘Blush Noisette,’ it’s noted for its fragrance. The flowers tend to hang down, a nice characteristic for a climber. You can view them from the ground easily.
A number of other old-time roses are proven growers in Florida, but are hard to locate. The pink ‘Duchess de Brabant’ or the white ‘Marie van Houtte’ are both forms of the tea rose, with small leaves and flowers and excellent disease resistance.
Hybrid teas are the standard rose for cutting and are award winners at rose shows. These roses are more tempermental than the shrub types, but offer magnificent blooms for much of the year.
It is important to choose tested varieties that are the most trouble-free to keep work to a minimum.
Gary Stone, manager of International Roses in Plantation, thinks highly of the following hybrid teas: ‘Carmella,’ ‘Cary Grant,’ ‘Chicago Peace,’ ‘Double Delight,’ ‘Dolly Parton,’ ‘Tropicana,’ ‘Tiffany,’ ‘Perfume Delight’ and ‘Mr. Lincoln.’ Nat Tietelbaum, a well-known hobbyist who grew superior roses in South Florida for many years, rates the following hybrid teas as his top performers: ‘Ambassador,’ ‘Double Delight,’ ‘Grenada,’ ‘Christian Dior’ and ‘Tiffany.’ He also recommends: ‘Confidence,’ ‘Big Ben,’ ‘Perfume Delight,’ ‘White Christmas,’ ‘Color Magic,’ ‘Lady X’ and ‘Ivory Tower.’ The grandiflora category combines the cutting qualities of the hybrid teas with the cluster blooming habit of the floribundas. Some of the best include: ‘Gold Medal,’ ‘Queen Elizabeth’ and ‘Arizona.’ The floribundas are small bushy plants 3 to 4 feet high and covered with clusters of blooms. They are used as landscape shrubs and borders. Stone recommends ‘First Edition,’ ‘Annabel,’ ‘Gold Badge,’ ‘Angel Face’ and ‘Pink Rosette.’ Teitelbaum adds ‘Marina,’ ‘Europeana,’ ‘Sunfire’ and ‘Cherish.’ The polyantha class was developed at the turn of the century and is a forerunner of the floribunda. Plants are smaller, 2 to 3 feet in height, and have smaller clustered flowers. The polyanthas are good border plantings. Stone likes ‘China Doll,’ ‘Fire King,’ ‘Margo Koster’ and ‘Mother’s Day.’
Robert Haehle is a horticultural consultant based in Fort Lauderdale.
CLASS TIME
Fruit & Spice Park is sponsoring a rose growing course from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 27. The park is at 24801 SW 187th Ave., Homestead. Fee is $6. To register, call 1-305-247-5727.
