Variety

A. Hybrid Tea

• Red and dark red: Black Velvet, Crimson Glory, Happiness

• Orange: Hawaii, Super, Star, Duke of Windsor

• Yellow: Summer Sunshine, Golden Giant, Kiss of Fire, Double Delight

• Pink: Eiffel Tower, First Love, First Prize

• White: Virgo, White Christmas

• Bicolours: Suspense (red and yellow), Perfecta (pink and white)

• Lavender: Blue, Africa Star, Paradise

• Novel Colour: Careless Love

• Fragrant Roses: Fragrant Cloud, Sugandha

B. Floribunda

These have been produced by crossing Hybrid Tea and dwarf polyantha.

• Red: Rob Roy, Jantar Mantar

• Orange: Scarlet, Independence, Shola

• Yellow: All Gold, Fugitive, Gold Bunny

• Pink: Queen Elizabeth, Mercedes

• White: Iceberg, Himagini

• Lavender: Angel Face, Lavender Princess

• Bicolour: Red Gold, Fantasia

• Multi Colour: Banjaran, Madhura

C. Polyantha

Ideal, Swati, Echo, Madam Gladstone

D. Miniature

These are also called as Baby roses. They are compact but dwarf plants. These were introduced from China as Pigmy rose (R.Chininsis variety minima). These are mostly ideally suited for edging, pots, rockeries or window gardens.

• Red: Red Flush, Little red

• Pink: Rosemarin

• Orange: Sum Blaze, Mary Marshal

• Yellow: Yellow Doll, Summer Butter

• White: Cindrella

• Lavender: Jewel

• Multi Colour: Puppy Love, Party Girl

• Bicolour: Sassy Lassy

E. Climbing and rambling

These produce long arching canes and need some support to keep them upright. Show Girl, Prosperity, Golden Showers, Delhi Pink Pearl, Casino.

F. Shrub Roses

Cocktail, Joseph’s Coat.

Planting material

Roses are commonly propagated by "T" or shield budding on the rootstock. The common rootstock used in Edouard rose (R. bourboniana) or R. multiflora. Recently R. indica odorata has been found better than the former rootstocks.

Planting time

For planting roses, best time is from end of September to middle of October but it can be extended up to November

Planting

The place selected for planting roses should be dug thoroughly to a depth of 90-120 cm and kept open for few days. The soil should be dried and refilled with 10-15 kg/sq.m. well rotten farm yard manure and good garden soil at the top. The spacing between plants varies with the vigour of the variety but generally H.T. varieties can be planted at the distance of 75 cm from each other while for the varieties of floribundas which are used for massing, a distance of 60 cm can be kept.

Manuring

Many arbitrary recommendations are available about feeding of roses. Roses should be fed with both organic and inorganic sources. One hundred gram of mixture containing groundnut cake –5 kg. bonemeal – 5 kg, ammophos (11:48) – 2 kg, ammonium sulphate –1 kg super phosphate (single) –2 kg and potassium sulphate –1kg should be applied per bush for better results. Addition of 60 g N, 20 g of P₂O₅ and K₂O should be applied per sq.m. containing nine plants. These fertilizers should be applied in two splits i.e. half amount of N, full dose of P and K at the time of pruning and remaining half one month after the first application. In the market many ready-made rose mixtures are being sold which can also be applied.

Irrigation

During winter, irrigation is done at about 7-10 days interval whereas during summer it should be done at an interval of 5-6 days. Heavy watering at comparatively long intervals is more useful than frequent light watering.