Sweet Mademoiselle Rose

1. Planting: Choose a well-drained site in full to partial sun (4 to 8 hours of sunlight per day). If you choose partial sun, make sure your plant receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day (afternoon shade is better than morning shade).

Start by digging a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the root ball. Backfill the soil until you have a hole the same size or slightly larger than the container the rose is in. Plant the rose at the same depth as it is in the container. Mulch the planting site to retain soil moisture and keep competing growth from coming up around the rose bush.

2. Watering: While your rose is establishing, keep your soil evenly moist during the growing season. Water around the roots rather than overhead (or showering). Generally, this means watering about once or twice weekly, or more often in dry conditions. Once your rose establishes, it will be more tolerant of drought and you may only need to water in especially dry conditions.

3. Fertilizing: Fertilize with an organic rose fertilizer once a month.

4. Pruning: Prune every spring, all the way back to 12 inches off the ground, after it is established. When you do prune, sterilize your sharp pruning shears with hot water or rubbing alcohol. This guarantees a cleaner, healthier cut. Always prune at an angle and not straight across.