Grandiflora Roses: The Beauty of a Hybrid Tea with the Ease of Care of a Floribunda

Grandifloras can complement any landscape by offering that classic rose bush beauty often associated with well-kept older gardens. The grandiflora flower has kept the characteristics of the hybrid tea while the bush keeps the characteristics of the floribunda.

Most grow three to five feet tall although some may grow a little bit taller which makes the grandiflora perfect for use in a hedge or as a garden back-drop. While grandifloras are hardier than hybrid teas due to the crossing with the floribunda rose bush, they still need care similar to the care given to a hybrid tea but perhaps with less precision needed. The care and pruning of your grandiflora rose bush will depend upon the main purpose for which you want to add it to your garden. Will the grandiflora be used for cuttings? Will it be used as a hedge? Will it be used to hide unseemly background objects like electric meters? Think about how you wish to incorporate the grandiflora into your landscape and the care and pruning needed for it will follow.

For example, if you like the beauty of hybrid tea-like rose flowers but don’t wish to fuss over them, then try planting your grandiflora roses as a hedge. When grandifloras are used as a hedge, their purpose is both aesthetic and utilitarian. You can enjoy their beauty from the privacy they’ll offer your garden and they will enhance your garden’s facade when viewed from the street. When it comes time to dead head your grandiflora roses, you just need to follow the basic guidelines of cutting it above the first five-leaflet leaf. If you want to encourage tall growth, don’t cut your stems too short. Technically you can cut them down to two five-leaflet leaves left on a new shoot, but if you wish to have them grow vigorously, then it’s best not to take too much off until the grandiflora rose bush is mature.

When you plant your grandiflora, a good rule of thumb to follow is to make the hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the root ball to give the bush a good starting chance. Check with your local garden center for advice specific to your region and to have your soil analyzed. Making your soil suitable for your plantings will go a long way towards making your plantings grow to the best of their ability. Also, when you pick the spot to plant your grandiflora, make sure it gets at least six hours of full sun. Eight hours would be best, but six at the minimum will work. Anything less and your rose bush will never grow the way it was meant to grow.

Feeding and watering your grandiflora are relatively easy compared to the planting process. Plant food has really come a long way and there are many plant foods specified and labeled as rose food. Plant food for roses is formulated to make the bush strong and help it flower. The partner to feeding your rose bush is watering your rose bush. Keep in mind that watering your grandiflora is just as important, if not more so, than feeding it. When you water your rose bush, don’t just water a little bit every day. Doing that will only encourage shallow root growth since the roots will become accustomed to frequent short waterings. Instead, water your grandiflora rose bush deeply about once a week, twice if the weather warrants it. Let the water run and penetrate the soil deeply to encourage the roots to take a stronger hold. You’ll have a hardier plant for you effort.

Once you get your grandifloras planted and up-and-running, you’ll see that they’ll offer you years of beauty, growth and joy.