History of Fourth of July Climbing Roses:
The Fourth of July rose is truly a stunner in both beauty and fragrance. It was first introduced in the United States by breeder Tom Carruth in 1999. It was an AARS winner in that same year and it gets its name because of the blooms it produces with red and white stripes. This variety is a medium sized climbing rose, reaching heights of anywhere from 10 to 14 feet tall. It also has a very long bloom time starting in late spring and continuing through until the frost.
Like most roses, the Fourth of July rose gives its best performance when grown in well drained soil in a location that gets full sun all day long. It can handle partial shade however but no less than 6 hours a day of sun light. The Fourth of July is a thorny variety of climbing rose and you will find that bees and butterflies absolutely love this rose.
Growing Fourth of July Climbing Roses:
The Fourth of July rose needs a lot of water in order to provide you with ample blooms all season long, and when you do water it, make sure you do so on a regular basis and water it thoroughly. You will want to make sure that your climbing roses have good air circulation and it is always a good idea to water them from the bottom, rather than watering from the top down and keeping the leaves wet for too long. If your roses don't dry out properly you will find they become very susceptible to diseases and pests.
If you want to be sure your Fourth of July climbing roses keep blooming all season long, make sure you are diligent in dead heading blooms that are spent, as this will prevent the rose from wasting energy growing hips and it will continue to keep blooming for you. This rose grows best if you give it soil that is slightly acidic, so it's not a bad idea to add amendments to your soil to give it the best chance possible!
Planting Fourth of July Climbing Roses:
Planting your Fourth of July Climbing Roses is simple and easy. Depending on where you purchased your roses from, you would have either received them as a bareroot plant, or in a container. If they came in a container much of the work is already done. In either case, I suggest you have a wheelbarrow handy and a bag of organic mulch, found at your local garden center. When you dig up the existing soil, mix it 2 to 1 with the organic compost before backfilling. This will give your Fourth of July climbing roses a tremendous start.
For container roses, dig the hole roughly twice the size of the container it came in, and set the top level of the container with the surface level of the existing soil. This will keep the bud union at the same depth it was originally planted. If you have a bareroot plant, then you will need to dig the hole wide enough so that all the roots can fully extend naturally, and deep enough that the bud union sits about an inch or two below the surface of the soil.
Once you've set the plant in place, backfill with your soil mix about halfway, and then water it down thoroughly. Fill the hole the rest of the way and then water again. The reason for doing this is to ensure proper coverage of the roots with the soil, and to prevent any air pockets from forming.
Fertilizing Fourth of July Climbing Roses:
Most roses in general are happy with one feeding every spring, at the start of the growing season. If you want, you can give your Fourth of July climbing roses 3 feedings each season. The first one is almost always given in early spring, just as the leaves begin to form. The second one can be done several weeks later, as the first big bloom starts to develop. The 3rd feeding is typically done around mid-July, to help promote additional blooms.
There are a wide range of fertilizers out there and everyone has their own preference as to what to use. I prefer to stay away from the liquid chemical fertilizers because I've found they too easily can burn many varieties of roses. Instead I stick with an all-purpose granular fertilizer just to be safe. The product will give you instructions on how to apply it, and always make sure you leave at least 4 weeks in between feedings.
Over-wintering Fourth of July Climbing Roses:
While this rose is hardy in zones 5 though 9, you will probably want to give the plant a generous layer of mulch before the freezing temperatures arrive. Before you mulch the plant over and prepare for winter, make sure you clean up any and all loose leaves from around the base, as well as any diseased leaves that might still be on the plant.
Many spores will go dormant in the winter only to infect the plant the following spring, and dead and decaying leaves are a haven for them, so do your due diligence. You don't want to go through all that trouble of protecting your plant from the winter cold, only to lose it to a disease the following year.
The Fourth of July rose is a very versatile rose that will make a great addition to just about any location you can find for it. Grow it along a fence or wall, or allow it to climb up an arbor to accent a walkway or garden entrance. The red and white striped blooms are sure to make an impression no matter where you plant it! If you give your Fourth of July roses the proper care and growing location, you will end up with a plant that gives you years of enjoyment!
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