Oso Easy Peasy Rose

Oso Easy Peasy Rose

Botanical name: Rosa x 'Phyllis Sherman'

Bloom type: Perennial 

HOW TO GROW OSO EASY PEASY® ROSA

Planting

Roses require full sun to grow and bloom, so choose a spot that receives a minimum of six hours of direct sun per day. If it receives full sun all day, that’s even better.

Oso Easy Peasy rose will need consistent watering, so be sure to plant it where the hose or sprinkler can reach. Roses are not drought tolerant. However, it’s better if their foliage doesn’t get wet on a regular basis so, if possible, direct the water towards the plant’s roots rather than its foliage when you irrigate. Watering early in the morning is preferable to ensure the foliage is dry before nightfall. Though this rose has exceptional disease resistance, proper watering is still important to prevent disease.

When planting, dig the hole about twice as wide but just as deep as the container it is growing in. If the roots are densely circled around when you take the plant out of the pot, loosen them a bit to help break the “root memory”. This will encourage the roots to grow outward instead of continuing in the circular pattern.

Set the plant in the hole, making sure that the top of the rootball is level with the top of the surrounding soil. Then backfill the hole with the soil you dug out and press it down with your hand firmly to eliminate any big air pockets around the roots. Water it in to help the soil settle. Finally, spread some mulch around the plant, taking care to keep it a couple of inches away from the base. The mulch will help to retain the soil moisture and protect the roots during winter.

Pruning

In early spring as this rose’s leaf buds are beginning to swell, it’s a good idea to cut the whole plant back by about half to one-third its total height. Doing so removes the thinner stems at the top of the plant and ensures that the growth for the new season comes from the heartier buds further down the stems. Don’t sweat exactly where you cut the stems too much. Simply cut right above where a nice, big bud is emerging on the stem.

When you prune your roses in spring, feed them with a granular rose food. This will help them start the new season off right with plenty of nutrients to support the new growth.

Oso Easy Peasy is a self-cleaning rose, meaning its spent flowers will naturally drop their petals. New flowers will form on the stems whether or not you remove the old blossoms, but you could choose to do so for sake of appearance.