Flower Carpet Roses Planting Guide

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A Rose by Any Other Name

Roses are some of the best loved garden perennials in the world, with their popularity spanning both continents and centuries. But some gardeners shy away from these beauties because they believe roses are too difficult to grow successfully. And that used to be true. Now, with the introduction of low maintenance Flower Carpet Roses, 25 years of careful breeding has culminated in plants that need no spraying, no staking and just a simple snipping to shape annually. (We do recommend feeding them once or twice a season so they have the nutritional resources to produce huge volumes of blooms over the entire growing season.) If you've avoided roses up to this point because you have neither the time nor inclination to fuss, here's your chance to enjoy roses at their best - easy care, long blooming and in luscious shades.

Please note: new flower carpet rose plants often vary in size based on color. Some years one color is larger to begin with and another smaller, the next year a different color tends to start out bigger. The smaller ones always catch up quickly. Don't be concerned if you order several colors and the plants vary in size - they'll catch up before the end of the first season and wow you equally for many future seasons.

Outdoor Beds

1. Find a location where the soil drains well. If there are still water puddles 5-6 hours after a hard rain, scout out another site. Or amend the soil with the addition of organic material to raise the level 2-3 inches to improve the drainage. Peat moss, compost, ground bark or decomposed manure all work well and are widely available. Roses will not thrive in waterlogged soil.
2. Site your roses where they will they will receive full sun. If you live in zones 9 or 10, the combination of heat and strong sunlight make it advisable to plant your Flower Carpet Roses in semi-shade or dappled sunlight.
3. Dig holes about 12-15" deep and mix a handful or two of rose fertilizer into the soil removed from the hole. Place your rose in the hole with branches just above the soil line and back fill with the soil you removed. Pack the soil well around the roots, tamp down with your foot, stepping carefully so you don't snap off a cane. This eliminates air pockets and ensures that the main roots have direct access to soil so small feeder roots can develop quickly.
4. After planting, water your rose well to settle the soil around the roots. Warmth from the sun will encourage the production of new growth. Water lightly until your rose has broken dormancy and begun to develop new roots and leaves. (Roses that haven't yet awakened and begun to grow can be drowned by watering daily.) Keep your rose well watered throughout the growing season; 1"-1.5" of total water per week is a good general rule of thumb.
5. Flower Carpet Roses develop buds in late spring and continue to bloom through the fall. When in bloom, feel free to cut flowers for bouquets. This will not hurt the plants and having a close to endless supply of flowers to bring indoors is one of the best reasons to grow roses. A mid summer application of rose fertilizer helps keep blossom production in high gear for the entire season.
6. Blooming finishes for the season when the weather turns cold. For warm weather gardeners, you don't need to do a thing for your roses until spring. Refrain from applying fertilizer in the mid to late fall as this encourages the production of fresh foliage at a time of the season when this is undesirable.
7. In colder areas (zones 5 and 6), mulch your rose plants in late fall with a blanket of leaves 6-8" deep. This provides an insulating buffer so that your plants aren't subject to dramatic temperature swings when a sunny winter or early spring day sends the mercury skyward.
8. In spring, when the danger of frost has past, remove your leave mulch (if applied in fall) and trim your roses back, cutting the canes to about 10-12" tall. This prompts your plants to produce fresh growth. We recommend providing fertilizer at this point to strengthen the new leaves and shoots and to encourage high bud production.

Pots, Barrels, Tubs & Urns

1. Fill your containers with good quality, well-drained soil. Almost any commercially available potting medium will work fine. Make sure there are adequate drainage holes; roses must never sit in waterlogged soil or their roots will rot. Keep in mind the mature size of your roses and choose containers that are sufficiently spacious.
2. Site your roses where they will they will receive full sun. If you live in zones 9 or 10, the combination of heat and strong sunlight make it advisable to plant Flower Carpet Roses in semi-shade or dappled sunlight.
3. Dig holes about 12-15" deep and mix a handful or two of rose fertilizer into the soil removed from the hole. Place your rose in the hole with branches/canes just above the soil line and back fill with the soil you removed. Pack the soil well around the roots and tamp down. This eliminates air pockets and ensures that the main roots have direct access to soil so small feeder roots can develop quickly.
4. After planting, water your rose well to settle the soil around the roots. Warmth from the sun will encourage the production of new growth. Water lightly until your rose breaks dormancy and begins to develop new roots and leaves. (Roses that haven't yet awakened and begun to grow can be drowned  by watering daily.) Keep your rose well watered throughout the growing season; 1"-1.5" of total water per week is a good general rule of thumb.
5. Flower Carpet Roses develop buds in mid to late spring and continue to bloom through the fall. When in bloom, feel free to cut flowers for bouquets. This will not hurt the plants and having a close to endless supply of flowers to bring indoors is one of the best reasons to grow roses. A mid summer application of rose fertilizer helps keep blossom production in high gear for the entire season.
6. Blooming finishes for the season when the weather turns cold. For warm weather gardeners, you don't need to do a thing for your roses until spring. Refrain from applying fertilizer late in the season as this encourages the production of fresh foliage about when cold weather arrives.
7. In colder areas (zones 5 and 6), mulch your rose plants in late fall with a blanket of leaves 6-8" deep. This provides an insulating buffer so that your plants aren't subject to dramatic temperature swings when a sunny winter or early spring day sends the mercury skyward. Or, pull your containers into a non-freezing garage or shed where they can rest until spring's warmth arrives.
8. In spring, when the danger of frost has past, remove your leave mulch (if applied in fall) and trim your roses back, cutting the canes to about 8" tall. This prompts your plants to produce fresh growth. Provide some fertilizer at this point to strengthen the new leaves and shoots and to encourage high bud production.