How to Care for a Rosa Rugosa Alba

Water the R. rugosa alba slowly and deeply to provide at least an inch of water a week if it doesn't rain. The experts at All American Rose Selections recommend that you water 30 minutes, two to four times a week. Overhead watering promotes fungal disease, so supply the water to the soil around the rose.

Remove or cut back plants growing within a 3-foot radius of the alba to provide air circulation. This too, promotes better health and discourages fungal pathogens.

Topdress the soil around the Rosa rugosa alba with 2 to 3 inches of an organic mulch. This helps keep the soil moist and discourages weed growth.

Avoid deadheading the alba shrub if you want to use the hips for consumption. Deadheading, unlike with other flowering plants, does not promote new blooms on the Rosa rugosa. It won't harm the plant, however, so if you don't want to harvest the rose hips and want the shrub to look tidy, cut spent roses to an outward-facing five-leaf cluster.

Rake the soil around the Rosa rugosa in late fall to remove all plant debris that may provide a spot for pests and disease pathogens to overwinter.

Prune the Rosa rugosa alba in spring, just before new growth begins. Cut it back as hard as you need to for both size and shape.

Fertilize the rose bush immediately after pruning in spring. Use any fertilizer labeled for use on roses, at the manufacturer's specified rate. Sprinkle the fertilizer on the soil around the bush and water to a depth of 6 inches. Reapply after the summer growing period but cease applications eight weeks before the first frost date in your region.