Growing Rose Hedges
GROWING ROSES AS HEDGES
Growing roses as hedges can be a great idea. No more or less than other types of hedges, choosing the appropriate plant is important, as well as the right situation.
If you are looking for a formal hedge or a hedge for a shady place then growing roses for the purpose won’t really work.
However, if those two criteria are not essential then growing roses as a hedge could work for you. It is certainly a great way of having a continuous and plentiful display of color.
Rose bush care maintenance in this situation involves very little care, just deadheading during season and a little light pruning afterwards.
There are several different types of roses that are suitable for growing as hedges. Suitable rose hedging has the following characteristics – hardy, disease resistant, plentiful and continuous blooms with lots of foliage.
There are several different rose types that tick all these boxes and I will give a quick overview of some of them here.
- Hybrid Musk type roses are reasonably effective although some of the longer stems may need to be cut back during season.
- Rugosa shrubs are highly effective rose hedges. They have plenty of prickly stems that deter unwanted visitors, are mildew free, and display hips in the winter. Roseraie de l’Hay is particularly good as are the Seabrosa.
- If you want a tall rose hedge, over 5 feet use shrub roses or tall floribunda type roses. Plant these in a straight line about 3 feet apart. Good rose types for this hedge would be Scabrosa, Rosa Rugosa Alba, Penelope, Chinatown Roseraie de l’Hay.
- If you are growing roses as a medium sized hedge about 30 inches to 5 feet tall you can use hybrid Teas, Floribunda Type Roses or neat Shrub roses.
- It is better to grow these hedges in two staggered rows with about 18 inches between them. Suitable rose types for this type of rose hedges are pink Parfait, Frau Dagmor, Alexander, Icerberg, Ballerina.
- Growing roses as a small hedge involves single row planting at about 10 inches apart. Use patio roses or dwarf floribunda type roses for a hedge of about 30 inches tall. Growing roses as hedges can be practical and beautiful.
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