Roses in Alaska: Choosing a Site

For Alaskans who have decided to grow hardy roses, their first step should be to step outside their doors and look around.

Whether roses are grown in Anchorage or in Pasadena for the Rose Parade, most roses have some minimum requirements. The first requirement is sunshine. Roses need warmth and sunshine. If your yard is in shade, grow something else, or be prepared for less-than-spectacular results. Roses need at least five hours of sun, and many experts say six is the minimum during the warmest part of the day, if possible.

Other states have to worry about too much sun. In Alaska, roses need all they can get. Without sun, roses will produce fewer blooms and may grow leggy and spindly.

Roses need plenty to drink. Figure that you will need to provide your roses an inch or two of water each week. Conversely they don't like wet feet. They need good drainage, and if your soil is not porous, it must be amended to let water pass through. One rule of thumb is to dig a rose hole, fill it with water and see how fast it drains. If a puddle remains after an hour, you've got drainage problems.

Some places in the yard should be avoided. Gardeners will want to avoid drip lines along the side of the house where rose bushes would take a pounding from falling rainwater and winter ice and snow. They're also susceptible along streets where road maintenance work spreads gravel and snow.

Before planting, gardeners should consider how large a rose bush will be at maturity. Some varieties grow high enough to block windows. If you plant along a house, consider how much space you need to perform home maintenance, such as painting.

Roses should also be considered in relation to other plants in the yard, including other rose bushes. Planting under trees is usually taboo because of the rose's requirement for sunshine and water.

Roses need plenty of air circulation to help dry leaves of early morning dew, reducing the possibility of disease. Structures or other plantings, even other rose bushes, can cause stagnant air.

Finally, most roses have thorns, but that doesn't seem to bother moose. Moose find roses delicious. Count on some unwanted pruning if your rose is not planted behind a fence or some other sort of protection.

© 2002, Alaska Rose Society, All Rights Reserved.
This article was originally published in the Anchorage Daily News, June 7, 2002.

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Last modified: February 02, 2003