How to Grow Purple Hedge Roses

Till the soil for your hedge one to two months before you plant the seedlings. Dig the rose bed 2 feet deep and 20 inches wide. If your soil lacks essential nutrients, drains poorly or has an imbalanced pH, apply the appropriate chemicals to bring it to normal levels.

Measure the length of your planned rose hedge before you purchase rose seedlings. To create a solid structure, you need one seedling for every 3 feet of hedge length. Pick seedlings with plenty of little branches and a sturdy main stem.

Dig planting holes along the rose bed. Each hole should be 12 to 14 inches deep and roughly 20 inches wide. Leave 2 to 4 feet between each plant depending on the average size of your selected rose species. Some species are substantially smaller than others, so they must be planted closer together to form a hedge.

Remove the seedlings from their containers. Gently brush or tap excess dirt from the roots and fit each plant into the soil. Loosen the seedling's roots if they are tangled. Pat down the earth around the plant's base and roots to pack it loosely.

Water the seedlings as they grow throughout the year. According to the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, hedge roses need roughly 1 inch of water every seven to 10 days. They also recommend watering earlier in the day, rather than late afternoon, to prevent the onset of plant diseases.

Sprinkle rose fertilizer around each seedling in early summer, during late May or June. Fertilizing later in the year may encourage fresh growth, which is more vulnerable to cold weather, during the fall or winter months. This can cause permanent or long-term damage to the rose.