Mother Nature has presented obstacles for growing roses this season, according to Jeff and Cindy Garrett of Soddy-Daisy. Too much rain can be nearly as harmful as too little, Mr. Garrett said. “It doesn’t require a lot of effort because the rose bush is a tough and hardly plant,” he said. “The good thing about growing roses in the South is that they can bloom seven months every year. I don’t know any plant that lasts that long.”
The Garretts are active in the Tri-State Rose Society of Chattanooga. She is serving her second term as president; he is a past president. The Garretts offer the following tips.
1. Purchase healthy plants from reputable nurseries.
2. Before planting a rose bush, properly prepare the soil with one-third top soil, one-third compost and one-third sand to make sure the plant will be able to drain properly.
3. Plant the rose bush in a location that gets no less than four hours of sun each day. The morning sun is best. Most importantly, make sure the rose bush is planted where it can be enjoyed.
4. Spray plant for disease prevention. There are great products on the market.
5. Make sure the of water.
Feature writer Karen Nazor Hill covers fashion, design, home and gardening, pets, entertainment, human interest features and more. She also is an occasional news reporter and the Town Talk columnist. She previously worked for the Catholic newspaper Tennessee Register and was a reporter at the Chattanooga Free Press from 1985 to 1999, when the newspaper merged with the Chattanooga Times. She won a Society of Professional Journalists Golden Press third-place award in feature writing for ...
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