CALIFORNIA ROSES, 
INC. 
NOTES ON ROSE CULTURE APPLICABLE TO THE 
TEMPERATE REGIONS OF THE PACIFIC COAST 
Soil Conditions and Planting 
Roses flourish in a wide range of soils—from sandy 
loam to heavy gumbo or adobe—but the ideal is a heavy, 
modified adobe with good drainage. 
Roses are heavy feeders, therefore, light soils must be 
built up with barn-yard manure, bean straw or perhaps 
the addition of heavy soil in the bottom of the hole when 
planting. This will furnish the plant food and make a 
light soil more retentive of water. 
Heavy soils require the same treatment—but for a dif¬ 
ferent reason. These soils must be modified, made mel¬ 
low and open to furnish good drainage which is essential. 
The best results are obtained by preparing the whole 
rose-bed to a depth of 18 inches in advance of planting, 
leaving a layer of bean straw topped with a moderate 
dressing of barn-yard manure underlying the entire bed. 
Planting 
When planting in unorepared ground, a 16-inch circular 
hole is dug to a depth of about 18 inches, in the bottom 
of which bean straw topped with well-rotted manure is 
packed to form a 4-inch plug in ordinary soils and a 6- 
inch plug in very dense (heavy) soils. Enough soil is 
then packed back into the hole and left in the form of a 
cone to make possible the even spreading of the roots 
downward on a 45-degree slope. 
Planting now proceeds, refilling the hole with soil to ful¬ 
ly cover and protect the roots. The plant is now gradually 
lifted, filling and tamping all the while to bring the apex 
of the root system to a level which must be exactly three 
inches below the finished ground surface. The "Apex" is 
the point where the main root system emanates from the 
trunk. 
An old pick handle is a most satisfactory tamp. Do not 
be afraid of packing the soil too hard. You will be the 
loser if any air is left in contact with the roots, for the 
plant will remain inactive until these voids are filled. 
Next, basin the plant and soak it until the water has pen¬ 
etrated to the bottom of the hole. This should be done 
two or three times, providing, of course, that the surface 
has dried sufficiently between waterings for a very light 
cultivation—just a mere scratching. 
When the new shoots begin to appear the plants need 
some feeding. Fill the basin with some well-rotted cow 
manure, care being taken to keep it two or three inches 
away from the trunk at all times, and cover it with an 
inch or so of soil. Subsequent irrigations or rain will 
then carry the food to the roots as they need it. The 
mulch so created will cut down the number of waterings. 
One of the best possible mulches is made with chopped 
bean straw or alfalfa, and is full of nitrogen. 
Pruning 
After the plant is set, prune lightly to a minimum height 
of 12 inches, taking care to remove all interfering inside 
wood. Once properly started the future pruning should 
be light. In fact, proper cutting of flowers reduces prun¬ 
ing to a minimum and does away with the customary 
drastic pruning. When gathering your roses, always keep 
in mind the proper shaping of the bush, provide for con¬ 
tinuous flowering by leaving at least two good plump 
buds or eyes on each stem. Always hold the blade of 
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