How to Grow the Most Gorgeous Roses in Kansas

If you want to spruce up your landscaping, expand your backyard garden, or brighten up your patio, try adding some roses. You may think that growing roses is too challenging and requires a lot of time and maintenance, but some of the roses that grow very well in Kansas are easy care species that do quite well through Kansas winters. Some produce large, elegant blooms all summer long. Read on to find out how to grow the most gorgeous roses in Kansas!

What Kind of Roses Grow Well in Kansas?

Roses that grow well in Kansas include modern shrub roses, hybrid tea roses, floribundas and grandifloras. Kansas State has a website that has a pant library that lists all the roses that grow well in Kansas. The plant hardiness zones for Kansas are 5-7, with the counties furthest north requiring hardier plants for zone 5 and the southernmost counties being in zone 7. Here are a few of the specific rose types that do well in Kansas:

• ‘Nearly Wild’: Pink blooms that last awhile and will repeat throughout the summer.
• ‘Showtime’: Hybrid tea rose that produces coral-pink blooms.
• Knock Out Series: This popular series is easy to care for and disease resistant. Because they are very hardy, they can be grown throughout Kansas, even in the northern counties.
• ‘Modern Fireglow’: Gorgeous shrub rose that has clustered red blooms all summer long. Easy to grow in containers on your front porch.
• ‘Carefree Delight’: Easy to care for shrub rose with delicate pink blooms.

When Should I plant Roses in Kansas?

The best time to plant roses in Kansas is spring. If you purchase a rose bush from a garden center that is in a container you will want to wait until after May 1^st to be sure the temperatures don’t dip too low. If you are planting bare root roses you can plant them in the ground as soon as the ground has thawed. Sometimes this is as early as March in Kansas depending on which part of the state you are in.

Where Should I Plant Roses?

Roses need plenty of sun! Most rose bushes require at least six hours of full sun each day. Some varieties can handle partial shade, but others do even better with more than six hours. Besides finding a location with sun you need to plant your roses in soil that drains well and can hold water. It also needs to have good air circulation, or your roses will be prone to fungal diseases.

You can plant your roses along the landscape in the front of your house, in your backyard garden or in containers on the patio of your apartment. Climbing roses can be added to a trellis on your deck or along a cute white picket fence. Don’t limit yourself to one kind of rose bush, experiment and add variety to your garden by trying different types and colors.

Do Roses in Kansas Need Full Sun?

Roses in Kansas need around six hours of sun a day. Planting your roses in full sun is ideal but there are some varieties that do well in partial sun. Floribundas, for example, can do okay in partial sun/partial shade and still produce nice, beautiful blooms. A nice white ‘rose iceberg’ or deep red ‘sunfire’ might be suited well for a shadier spot in your garden.

When Should I Winterize My Roses in Kansas?

You should winterize your roses in Kansas in November. One tip is to not rush into winter care but wait until your roses are dormant. The first frost date in Kansas varies by area with the average date in Wichita being 10/10. Topeka is a little earlier with a date of 10/1, but some cities, like Goodland and Philipsburg are as early as 9/23. These are the first frost dates, but you will want to wait until mid to late November before winterizing your roses.

What Should I do to Take Care of My Roses in the Winter?

To take care of your roses in the winter there are a few steps you need to take.

1. Water your roses thoroughly.
2. Spray the canes and soil/mulch with a fungicide spray (optional).
3. Remove the leaves from the bottom 12-15 inches of the plant (optional).
4. Layer mulch and leaves around the base of the plant to a depth of 12 inches.
5. Easy Care Roses won’t need a deep mulch covering, but a layer of a couple of inches deep will help.

When Should I Prune My Roses?

Roses in Kansas should be pruned in spring. After the threat of frost has passed it is prime time to prune. Check your local frost dates but typically by the first week or two of April it is safe to start pruning your roses. Be sure to pull away any extra mulch that you winterized with, then remove any dead or damaged canes. Bushes should be pruned down and thinned out to leave three to seven really good, healthy canes. Pruning is helpful in producing more and healthier blooms year after year.

Are There Any Rose Gardens in Kansas?

Yes! The Reinisch Rose Garden in Topeka, KS has more than 4,500 roses from 180 different varieties. The garden was first dedicated back in June 1930 and today has both old garden roses and new modern roses. Located in Gage Park, this garden also features a pond full of lily pads that is frequented by ducks. You will see a wide range of colored roses from bright classic red to sparkling yellow. The best time to visit is when the garden is in full bloom but even into early October many blooms are still visible. The Reinisch Rose Garden is truly a wonderful display of roses in Kansas.

Other Rose Gardens to Visit in Kansas include:

• Shanna Morrison Memorial Rose Garden (Shawnee, KS)
• City Park Rose Garden (Manhattan, KS)
• Rose Garden at Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS)

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Marina Rose/Shutterstock.com