Information on the Weeping Rose Tree
- Rose trees are created by first grafting a rootstock and cane, then grafting a floribunda rose to the top end of the cane. When the rose begins to grow, the cane remains leafless and blooms appear only upon the cane's top.
Some popular weeping rose trees include The Happy Chappy (an easy-grower that blooms in pink, yellow or orange), The Baby Blanket (with fair, pink flowers) and The Blossom Blanket (which produces bunches of white flowers). - Place weeping rose trees in full sun (at least 6 hours of sunlight each day). Fertilize yearly with a fertilizer designed for flowering shrubs or roses. Do not use water-soluble fertilizers. Do not prune weeping rose trees for their first couple of years, unless you need to remove dead or diseased limbs.
- Weeping rose bushes are sensitive to cold and must be brought indoors to a basement (or any place cool and dark) during frosts or snows. Throughout the winter, keep the soil the tree is potted in moist, but not wet. When early spring arrives, help the tree grow accustomed to the outdoor climate by bringing it into a lighter and warmer area of the house for a few hours. Gradually, allow the tree to sit in a bright, warm area all day. When the last threat of frost has passed in your area, place the tree outdoors.
- If you live in an area where it seldom frosts and never snows, you may plant weeping rose trees directly in the soil. To help support the rose, pound three stakes in the soil around the tree, angling them away from the rose and keeping them away from the root ball. Tie ribbon about the tree trunk and the stakes.
When the weather grows cooler, place a plant cage around the tree. Use string to tie heavier branches to the cage. In addition, pile mulch around the base of the plant and place a blanket over the cage. After the last threat of frost, remove the plant cage and carefully remove all the mulch. - Prune weeping tree roses by removing one or two flowering branches each year. To help maintain the weeping affect of the rose, prune branches at an angle, the point of the angle facing downward.