Like when you’re picking out a house, the most important thing to think about when adding a rose to your garden is where to put it.
Too many times, gardeners say roses are too fussy when they really just put them in the wrong spot.
Hey, you’d be miserable, too, if someone plopped you somewhere that you didn’t like and wished you luck.
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Yes, you do want plants that are free of disease and have lots of big flowers. You just need to find the right spot in your yard.
Every yard has its own microclimates, and finding an ideal one can make all the difference. While the wrong spot could make your plant struggle all the time, the right spot for your rose will help it grow.
Now that I’ve driven the point home, let me explain exactly what I mean by the right location.
Roses are beloved around the world for their beauty fragrance and versatility. But not all environments are equally suited for rose growing. Factors like climate, soil, sunlight, and water availability all play a role in determining where roses will thrive.
In this article, we’ll explore the best rose-growing locations worldwide and what makes them ideal for nurturing these treasured blooms. Read on to discover the top rose havens across the globe!
Rose-Growing Hot Spots
While roses can grow in many parts of the world, certain regions provide optimal conditions that bring out their full potential. Here are some of the best places worldwide for rose cultivation
Ecuador
Ecuador has emerged as one of the premier rose producers on the planet. The country exports over 4 billion roses per year, making it a powerhouse in the global cut flower industry. Ecuadorian roses are prized for their extra-large blooms and vibrant colors.
The ideal equatorial climate provides plentiful sunlight and warm year-round temperatures perfect for rose cultivation. Farms are concentrated in the Andean highlands around Quito where elevation and rich volcanic soil also contribute to the exceptional quality of Ecuadorian roses.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has a long tradition of excellence in rose breeding and growing. Dutch nurseries played a key role in developing many beloved modern rose hybrids.
The temperate maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters is ideal for roses. Abundant rainfall and the use of greenhouses allow growers to carefully control moisture and protect plants.
While production has declined, the Netherlands still exports over 1 billion roses annually. The country’s long days in summer are perfect for developing extra-large blooms.
France
France has been associated with roses since medieval times. French rose breeders pioneered the development of Hybrid Teas and other modern varieties.
The mild Mediterranean climate in southern France nurtures roses beautifully. Regions like Grasse have sandy, well-drained soils that roses love.
France excels in cut roses and rose oils but also has a vibrant garden rose culture. The French style of training climbing roses on arched trellises is famous worldwide.
United States
California provides ideal growing conditions for roses in the United States. The temperate Mediterranean climate allows year-round production. California supplies about 75% of domestic rose production.
Other top rose states include Florida, Oregon, and Texas. American rose growers emphasize advanced greenhouses, irrigation, and other technologies to maximize quality and yields.
The US is both a major rose producer and consumer. Americans purchase over 200 million stems each Valentine’s Day!
China
As the birthplace of many beloved Old Garden Roses, China has a generations-long affinity for rose growing. Chinese roses were cultivated and treasured for their beauty, fragrance, and medicinal properties.
Today, China is a leading exporter of cut roses. Major production areas include Yunnan Province where warm weather and plentiful labor support large-scale rose farms.
The Chinese market prefers large-headed rose varieties with an open bloom. Red and pink roses are top sellers, especially for holidays and weddings.
Kenya
Kenya has become a major supplier of cut roses to Europe. The equatorial highlands around Lake Naivasha offer excellent conditions for rose cultivation.
Elevation over 6,000 feet provides cooler temperatures while the ample sunlight nourishes fast growth. Advanced greenhouses allow complete climate control.
Kenya ships over 500 million stems annually, providing year-round availability to European markets during winter months. Varieties focus on large, long-lasting blooms.
What Makes a Prime Rose-Growing Location?
Clearly, iconic rose origins and leading exporters share certain environmental commonalities that enable top-quality flowers. What are the key factors that make a region truly ideal for rose cultivation?
Climate
Roses need abundant sunlight and moderate year-round temperatures between 60-80°F to thrive. Cool winters allow plants to go dormant while warm summers promote vigorous growth.
Too much extreme heat or cold will stress roses, reducing flowering and potentially killing plants. Ideal rose climates include Mediterranean, subtropical, and temperate maritime.
Soil
Well-drained, nutrient-rich soil is vital for healthy roses. Clay soils that get waterlogged can damage rose roots. The addition of compost improves texture and nutrients. A soil pH between 6-7 is preferred.
Water
Adequate and consistent moisture is essential, especially during budding and flowering. Roses require about 1-2 inches of water per week. Reliable rainfall or irrigation access enables growers to supplement as needed.
Sunlight
Roses need a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun daily to fuel growth and maximize blooms. More sunlight results in faster growth and more prolific flowering.
Air Circulation
Good air movement through rose beds reduces pests and diseases. Locations with natural airflow or the ability to use fans help grow healthy plants.
Infrastructure
For commercial growers, proximity to airports and cold chain logistic networks enables timely shipping of fresh cut roses to distant markets. Reliable transportation and infrastructure are vital.
Growing Beautiful Roses
While optimal natural conditions provide a baseline, growers employ specialized techniques to protect plants and coax maximum beauty from each stem:
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Greenhouses – Retractable roof greenhouses allow adjusting sunlight and airflow as needed while protecting from wind, hail, and cold.
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Controlled irrigation – Drip irrigation with timers enables precise watering schedules. Soil moisture sensors help ensure neither too much nor too little.
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Soil amendments – Adding beneficial elements like mycorrhizae fungi and compost improves soil nutrition and microbiome diversity for stronger plants.
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Sunlight optimization – Supplemental lighting extends day length for faster growth. Light deprivation techniques can manipulate blooming.
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Ventilation – Large fans circulate air to dry leaves quickly after watering/rain. This reduces fungal and mold growth keeping plants healthy.
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Integrated pest management – Monitoring for pests and targeted use of biological controls like ladybugs keeps plants protected while minimizing chemical inputs.
Leveraging science and technology enables growers anywhere to optimize conditions for beautiful, thriving roses. But the world’s prime rose havens will always hold a special allure for their magical convergence of natural blessings.
The Allure of the Rose Endures
While cultivation practices continue advancing, the rose’s timeless appeal persists. These regal blooms enchant us with graceful beauty and intoxicating fragrance just as they have admirers for centuries.
The best rose locales worldwide are truly blessed with inherent conditions that enable an abundance of flawless blooms. Yet devoted rose lovers can find success in their own gardens with care to provide the light, warmth, soil, and moisture that roses crave.
Wherever we encounter them, roses evoke a sense of wonder that brightens any setting. Their diverse forms from sumptuous Old Garden Roses to elegant Hybrid Teas offer varieties to suit every taste.
As long as beauty and passion endure, the rose’s mystique will continue inspiring devotion worldwide regardless of borders or language. These flowers lift our spirits and convey romance and joy across cultures.
Perhaps what makes roses most wondrous is their power to beautify the world while connecting us through a language of the heart that needs no words.
How to Pick the Perfect Spot for Roses
There are a few basic elements that you need to keep in mind. Let’s check them out.
Sun exposure is important. If your bush needs full sun, then you must pick a location with full sun. That means more than six hours of direct sunlight each day.
Some roses can survive with only three to six hours of sun a day, which is called “partial sun.” Be sure to do your research so you will know what yours needs.
Don’t be tempted to try and make do with slightly less sun than your selected variety requires. If you do that, you can bet that your plants will get fungal diseases or flower badly in the future, or maybe even both.
It’s not enough to just find a place that gets the right amount of sun each day, though. The timing of that sun exposure matters, too.
Some diseases, like powdery mildew, settle into plants that have moisture on the foliage in the morning. To counter this, choose a location that will receive direct morning sun to dry off the dew.
Picture the great rose gardens of the world. Most of them are out in the open, where there isn’t a lot of shade or other plants, buildings, or bushes in the way.
The ground is usually flat or slightly sloped, and there aren’t many people there, so the plants get a lot of air flow.
In other words, given the ideal location, they have plenty of space.
The International Rose Test Garden in Portland, Oregon, is on a slope that faces east (remember my tip about early morning sunlight?). There are no Douglas fir trees in the area to block the light or slow down airflow.
There is a good amount of space around each plant; roses and other plants of different types aren’t too close together. That’s the kind of situation we’re talking about.
You probably don’t have a big, sloped field that faces east for your roses, but you can still do your best to make sure they have the right conditions.
To do that, you need to plant away from trees and big bushes and leave space between them and fences and buildings.
When planting shrub roses (not the type of plant, but the way they grow) I like to do it randomly or diagonally instead of in straight lines. This way, they have plenty of room on all sides without taking up too much space.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t grow a climbing type against a wall or a ground cover grouped together against other bushes.
Just make sure you pick a type that can handle that kind of environment.
It’s also fine to position them in groupings with other plants.
Just choose kinds of plants that are shorter, and make sure you pick kinds that won’t crowd them out.
Also, keep in mind that the Rosa you chose right after it was picked from the nursery will grow much bigger than it is now.
For example, you might think that you can prune a bush that gets eight feet wide so that it can fit in a seven-foot space.
Rosa plants never do as well when you try to keep them from growing as big as they want to. Usually, flowering is the first thing to be compromised in this situation.
When the time comes, you’ll either be upset that your plant isn’t working well or annoyed at how often it tries to grab you by the shirt.
Read the plant tags and do some research to find out how big the variety you chose will get, then plant it where it will grow the most.
You want your plants to have a lot of room and sun, but you also don’t want them to be hit by a lot of strong wind.
They can move back and forth because of strong winds, which can weaken the plant by separating the stem from the soil.
Winter wind can also damage the tips of the canes, which may reduce flowering in the following season.
Plants also dry out faster when there is wind, so you’ll have to water them more often to keep them happy.
The wind shouldn’t be too strong, but you don’t want nearby buildings or plants to block them either. There should be trees close enough to block the wind without being so close that they shade or crowd the plants.
You could also plant them near your house or a wall, as long as they aren’t too close that they don’t get enough sun and air flow.
At the most fundamental level, Rosa species need loamy, fertile, well-draining soil. That means not too much clay, and not too much sand. The soil should have a pH between 6. 0 and 6. 5.
Not many people naturally have this kind of soil. If you do, when can I move in? But seriously, the rest of us have to change what we have to make it work.
If your soil isn’t too far off, you can work in some well-rotted compost to improve the situation.
Compost improves both sandy and clay soils. My best advice is to dig as big of a hole as you can if you want to change the soil.
You really can’t overdo it. Then, add the compost to your native soil and mix it together until it feels loose and sandy. Fill in the hole.
Otherwise, raised beds filled with purchased soil are an excellent option. That way, you can create the exact type of soil that your plants need.
Since we’re talking about soil, don’t plant another Rosa plant in the same spot if you’ve already grown one there in the last few years.
Crop rotation is always an excellent idea for vegetable gardens, but it applies here, too.
Growing Roses, A Complete Beginner’s Guide
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