Par rozēm

A wide selection of rose plants grown in Latvia.

Roses

The rose is the unrivalled queen of all flowers. Roses are the plants that decorate the garden for almost the entire season, as they have a very wide blooming period. Taking into account the ornamental qualities of each group, the arrangement of the flowers and the nature of flowering, by combining varieties from one group with varieties from another, we can enjoy rose blooms from the beginning of June until late autumn.

ROSE GROUPS.

Hybrid tea roses

Most suitable for cut flower production.

Rose plants range from 0.7 to 1.3m, and are characterised by perfect form and slender flower buds.

Hybrid tea roses have large double flowers, 9-15 cm in diameter. Flowers are borne singly or in small numbers, both on the previous year’s and the current year’s shoots. They bloom all summer and stand out for the widest variety of flower colours.

Floribunda roses

also called cluster roses – the most popular roses for plantings. They are on average 40-70cm high and very fast-growing. Flowers are usually 6-10cm in diameter, arranged in clusters of 3-10, but in some cases even up to 25 flowers in corymb-like inflorescences. The fullness of the flowers varies greatly – from open cups to nostalgically attractive rosettes. These rose plants are usually very frost-hardy. Even after severe winters, when shrubs may have suffered frost damage down to the soil surface, healthy new shoots develop from dormant buds on the lower shoots grown in previous years, beneath the substrate, and they regrow excellently in a short time, forming a full, abundantly flowering shrub.

Shrub roses

Rose plants in this group are richly branched, compact, vigorous, 1.2-1.5m high, sometimes reaching up to 2m. The flowers are of various sizes, most often 8-12cm in diameter, with differing forms and fullness, usually arranged in corymb-like inflorescences, 3-9 on one stem, in some cases also 10-15 or even more. Shrub roses are used in bed plantings together with floribunda roses thanks to their similar growth and flowering habit. They are also suitable for group plantings in lawns and look good as specimen plants. Shrubs usually show their full splendour in the second or third year after planting.

Park roses

shrubs may range in height from 0.4- 1.5 to 2m. The great majority bloom until frost. Park roses are sufficiently diverse, but are rarely planted in beds. They look best growing as individual shrubs or in groups in a lawn, or in a beautiful flowering hedge. Some form hips after flowering. They begin flowering 10-15 days earlier than other roses. Latvian and Canadian park rose varieties do not need winter protection, while those bred in other countries should be covered in our climate.

Climbing roses

Shrubs whose height ranges from 1.8 to 3 or more metres. Therefore, roses of this group should preferably be grown with support. Flowers may be of various sizes, 6-9-12cm in diameter, more rarely small, 3-5cm in diameter, arranged in larger or smaller, denser or looser corymb-like inflorescences of 3-15 or even more. Climbing roses include both repeat-flowering varieties and once-flowering varieties:

Once-flowering climbing roses begin blooming slightly earlier – in mid or late June. Their flowers are borne on short side shoots that, together with flower buds, have formed on the middle part of the previous years’ one-year-old, two-year-old and partly also three-year-old woody shoots. They bloom very abundantly for three to four weeks, while maintaining beautiful green foliage for the rest of the summer. After flowering, new vegetative shoots develop from buds on the lower part of the rose shoots, and these flower the following year, so it is especially important to overwinter them as long as possible.

In repeat-flowering climbing roses, flower buds form along the entire length of the previous year’s shoot and on the current year’s shoots. They bloom abundantly with short breaks from the end of June until late autumn.

PLANTING ROSES.

Rose plants should be planted in a sunny, bright place. Roses like the morning sun, and the first rays of sunlight are the most effective. Roses need at least 5-6 hours of sun per day. A site protected from winds, especially easterly and north-easterly winds, should also be chosen, although air circulation is also necessary. Before planting roses, it is important to think about the soil in which they will be planted and how to improve it. Roses are best grown in well-drained, airy soil where groundwater does not rise higher than 0.8m. Roses are perennial plants with a very deep root system (1-2m). When preparing a rose bed, the soil is prepared to a depth of 50-60cm. First, the upper fertile layer is removed and set aside separately. The lower infertile layer of soil is dug out and placed in a separate heap. Then the 50-60cm deep pit is filled with the removed topsoil, mixed with manure, compost, and in clay soils, peat. A less fertile layer 8-10cm thick can be spread on top. If roses are planted in spring, the soil should be prepared in autumn. If this is not possible, then soil preparation should preferably be carried out at least 3-4 weeks before planting.Rose plants can be planted from early spring until the end of September. Before planting, the tips of the new rose shoots must definitely be shortened. Shoots should be cut back above the third or fourth well-developed leaf. Before planting, the rose pot should be watered generously; it may also be immersed in a container of water. The planting hole should be dug to a depth of one and a half spade lengths. Then the hole is filled with soil. The most important rule during planting is that the graft union of the rose must be 5cm below the soil level. Such planting protects roses from freezing in winter. The planting must definitely be watered to eliminate air pockets formed during planting and to ensure immediate contact of the roots with the soil.

Fertilising roses.

In spring, when the leaf buds begin to swell and turn pinkish, which may be at the end of March or the beginning of April, the first nitrogen fertiliser is applied. After two or three weeks, one of the complete compound fertilisers with a higher nitrogen content is recommended. At the end of May or the beginning of June, fertilise with a compound fertiliser whose NPK content is, for example, 10-10-20 and which also contains trace elements. This is repeated at the end of June. After the first flowering, which is the most magnificent, plants use a great deal of nutrients, so they are fertilised again with a compound fertiliser. The last time roses may receive a nitrogen-containing fertiliser is at the beginning of August. In the second half of August, rose bushes are fertilised with magnesium sulphate or another magnesium-containing fertiliser. Around the same time, it is recommended to work wood ash into the soil around the rose bushes, as it contains K, Ca, Mg and other trace elements that strengthen roses and increase their resistance to various fungal diseases. Later, liming of rose beds may be carried out.

PREPARING ROSES FOR WINTER.

At the beginning of October, pinch out the tips of young shoots to stop growth and encourage the wood to ripen. Break off unopened buds and spent flowers. Defoliate roses after there have been frosts for some time. This usually happens at the end of October or the beginning of November. However, this is not compulsory. It is important to remove leaves from diseased and pest-damaged roses; these leaves must definitely be collected and burned. Damaged shoots should also be cut out and burned. The lower buds of the shoots should be preserved, which is achieved by hilling soil around the base of the shrub in a cone shape. Covering with dry peat or another dry material is recommended only when the soil has already frozen to a depth of 5-10cm. There is no need to hurry, because overheating may be more dangerous for roses than frost. Before frost sets in, bend down the shoots of climbing roses. They may be covered with spruce branches or other waterproof material (board shields, roofing slate)

The size of the rose plants we offer.

At present, it is possible to order first-year rose plants and second-year rose plants online. At our nursery and at travelling fairs, it is also possible to find some third-year rose plants. The picture shows a visual example of the difference in plant size. Please note that not all plants are the same. Second- and third-year plants sometimes also have fewer shoots than shown in the picture.