Planting Hybrid Teas

Site Selection

• Roses like sunlight. Select a site that has four to eight hours of direct sun per day. Morning sun is preferable as it dries overnight dew, helping prevent disease. Plant hybrid teas in areas with good drainage as roses cannot stand in water, even when dormant. Raised beds are a good choice. Locate roses away from fruit trees and shrubs to avoid competition for water nutrients from roots as well as insect and disease problems. Perennials make good planting companions. In windy areas, provide hybrid teas with protection from gusts. Keep rose roots moist before planting.

Bare-Root Roses

• Plant bare-root roses in the spring, about six to seven weeks after the last killing frost. Dig a hole that will accommodate the root system, approximately 12 inches deep and 18 inches in diameter. For sub-soils with heavy clay, dig a larger hole and replace a portion of the subsoil with peat moss or compost and mix thoroughly with quality topsoil. Prune damaged roots and then spread out remaining roots over a soil mound as much as possible before covering with rich, loamy soil. Cover with a 3-inch pile of mulch to provide nutrients and keep soil moist and for winter protection.

Potted Roses

• For potted hybrid teas, plant them any time during the growing season after the last killing frost. Bed preparation is much the same as for bare-root roses. Carefully remove the shrub from the container and place it in the hole without damaging the root ball. Carefully break up pot-bound plant roots with gentle water pressure applied with a garden hose.

Depth and Pruning

• Hybrid tea roses are often propagated by budding, in which a single bud is grafted onto a root stock. Position the bud union, the knob-like swelling at the base of the canes, 2 to 3 inches below the soil surface to protect the shrub from dying during winter cold. Place hybrid teas approximately 30 inches to 36 inches apart to give them sufficient room to grow as each shrub occupies six to 10 square feet of space. Once hybrid teas are in the ground, prune them about 6 to 8 inches above the bud union. Make cuts at a 30-degree to 45-degree angle.