How To Choose And Pick A Healthy Rose Plant For Your Garden.

Roses are a beautiful addition to any garden and can be easily grown in pots or containers,but whats most important is that you need to start first by choosing and buying the right plant that looks healthy and disease free,how do you do that well it very easy  and simple ,here are a few pointers to keep in mind when buying rose plants.

Mistake number one which happens to be the most commonly made one and I am sure most of you would agree with me, is that never get tempted to buy a rose plant by just looking at the flowers on it,check the stems and leaves before the roses,leaves often speak volumes on the overall health of a rose plant.

The leaves should be bright green and glossy and should not have yellow or brown spots which are an indication of fungal infections. neither should they be curly or deformed which are a  sign of pest infections like aphids ,mites,white flies etc.Once you have checked the leaves thoroughly give the underside of the leaves a quick check as well.

Rose plants that are available in nurseries are sprayed and overdosed with chemical pesticides and fertilizers so that they bloom profusely and the buyers are attracted and tempted to buy the plants instantly I like to call this the "Nursery Syndrome" and how do you get your rose plant to snap out of it very simple trim all the flowers and most of the stems leaving a few nodes for new growth ,most of you would think I am bananas for asking you to cut a newly bought plant but trust me if you don't do it now you will be sorry later here is the reasoning.

Because of the overdose of fertilizer the plant does not get enough time to absorb it and the effects of these fertilizers are temporary,rose plants require severe pruning and the sooner you adapt to this habit the healthier your plant will grow, cutting or pruning helps the plant branch out and put out new shoots,old faded blooms do not look appealing and need to be removed also as roses are heavy feeders they will end up absorbing the excess fertilizer and thus will end up getting stabilized in the process once all the nursery laden chemical fertilizer effect fades away you can introduce your plant to organic fertilizers .And with new growth will come more roses.

If you are buying a rose plant in a nursery bag ( the black poly plastic ones ) check to see if the soil inside is dry and not boggy or soaking in water,if the soil seems to be too wet allow it to dry out before transplanting the rose plant in a pot,this reduces the chances of the soil breaking and falling off  which can expose the roots,and it also helps in keeping the root-ball held together thus reducing chances of transplant shock.

Never buy roses that are Pre potted in pots or containers majority of the times bigger plants are potted in smaller containers,always go for the smaller plants in Nursery bags this way you can buy a pot according to the desired size giving the root-ball more space to spread and grow.

Never buy rose plants that have only one stem or plants which have stems that look lanky,frail and thin or are brown in color, always go for a rose plant that has multiple stems which are thick and green in color.

Pick a rose plant as per your growing space depending on how much sun the spot gets each day if its windy,shady etc,as there are different varieties of rose plants available that can be grown in shade,partial shade,full sun,partial sun etc,So pick the one according to what suits your available growing space.

Then comes the type for those of you who are unfamiliar with roses or first time buyers,you might get a bit overwhelmed with the wide variety of choices of roses that are available,there are so many types,colors,sizes, and cultivars,but to make things  easy and to keep it simple bear in mind your growing space and size ,then go for the type that would suit you best like creepers,shrubs,bushes,miniature,hybrid teas,bourbon,damask,china rose, etc.

Last and most important point never take suggestions as to what should you buy or which plant looks good,which plant should i buy,could you please recommend something  for me etc. from the nursery keepers,caretakers or owners they will always hand you down something that will not make it, use your own head instead just ask for common details like breed,requirements,type etc.

Remember that roses are just like any other plant, they require basic nutrients,sun and water just provide them with these three vital necessities  and also keep in mind the points and tips mentioned above and  that's it your all set  now to go ahead and buy yourself that perfect rose plant .

 Till Then Take Care And Happy Gardening !!