The rose is a symbol of beauty and grace. It is a winter-season flower, but roses are now grown all year round. For its colour, scent, charm and beauty it is called the queen of flowers, and it is the favourite of flower lovers. Because it adapts easily to different climates, roses are grown to some extent all year in every country. The rose is widely used as a cut flower, and it has no equal for decorating social and religious events, gardens, lawns, flower beds and verandas. It is also used in the attar and perfume industry.

The rose is a flower of cold and temperate zones and does not do well in high heat and humidity. A temperature of 22-30 degrees Celsius, 85 per cent relative humidity and an average annual rainfall of 100-125 cm suit rose growing. Well-drained, fertile loam with a pH of 6.0-6.5 is best. Flower quality depends heavily on sunlight, and morning sun is more effective than afternoon sun.

There are many rose varieties in the world. Among those grown in Bangladesh are Mirandi, Papa Meilland, Double Delight, Taj Mahal, Paradise, Blue Moon, Montezuma, Tata Centre and City of Belfast.

In Bangladesh, October to February is the right time to plant rose seedlings.

Roses are usually propagated by seed, cuttings, layering (gooti) and budding. Propagation by seed is used only in breeding or crop improvement programmes. The main method of producing new plants is budding, which is how cut flowers are produced commercially. A bud of the variety being propagated is placed on a suitable rootstock. The rootstock plays an important part in the plant's vigour, productivity, flower quality, the lifespan of the bush, disease resistance and its adaptation to soil and weather. Pencil-thick rootstock cuttings are made at the end of summer and planted in rows 25-30 cm apart in the nursery. After about six months these cuttings form stems of the right size for budding. Roses are mainly T-budded.

Pots should be kept in an open, airy, well-lit place that gets the morning sun and at least 6-8 hours of sunlight. It is better to avoid afternoon sun, especially in summer, as it makes the flower colour fade. Make sure light falls on the plant from all sides; otherwise it will grow only towards the light, so the pot should be turned from time to time. To protect pot roses from harsh summer sun, moving the pot between sun and shade in turn keeps the plant healthy and gives flowers for longer.

Clay soil is not good for roses. The potting mix should be loose so that water does not stand in it. Mix 1 part loam, 3 parts cow dung or compost, 1 part leaf mould and half a part sand (white river sand is best), add a handful of mustard oil cake and a spoonful of lime, and keep it in a 20 cm (8 inch) pot for a month. During that month water the pot and turn the soil over, which mixes it well. Some people have also had good results using used tea leaves in the mix. Spread broken bricks or pieces of clay pots over the bottom few centimetres of the pot so that the soil sits on top of them; this helps drain excess water.

Pot size depends on the variety. A 20 cm (8 inch) pot is good for small varieties, while large varieties need a 30 cm (12 inch) or bigger pot. If the plant is moved to a larger pot the year after it is first potted, it gives more and larger flowers.

Rose seedlings can be potted at any time of year, but September-October and January-February are the best times. Planted then, they flower for longer, are easier to care for and suffer less from pests and disease.

Collect healthy, good-looking seedlings. Check carefully that the ball of soil around the base is intact, and it is better not to take a seedling whose roots are sticking out of the soil ball. Seedlings should come from a trusted, known nursery, and it may help to take advice from someone experienced.

Source: Staff Correspondent. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.