A cabbage rose is a type of flower whose petals resemble a head of cabbage. People who would like to grow cabbage roses should choose a location in full sunlight that is at least 2 to 4 feet (.61 to .92 m) away from other large plants. Gardeners will need to dig a very large hole for the plant's roots and have plenty of potting soil on hand to fill the hole up with. Growing roses requires a great deal of time and effort, so people who are unable to commit this time may not want to begin growing a rose garden.
Once cabbage roses have been planted, it is important to water them regularly. The roots should be completely soaked when watering, but the ground should not become soggy. It is a good idea to mist the leaves and blossoms of the plant lightly if it is very hot outside. This should be done in early morning or late evening, as doing so in the afternoon could cause the water to burn the foliage.
Another thing to consider when growing roses is that they will need to be fertilized often. Gardeners can use a fertilizer designed for regular rosebushes; this can usually be purchased at a garden supply store. Cabbage roses need to be fertilized weekly, and this is best done by applying the fertilizer at the same time the plant is being watered.
All varieties of cabbage roses grow vertically, so some type of support system is needed when planting roses. A garden trellis is often used for this purpose, but gardeners can also grow these roses along the side of a building or near a fence post in order to provide support. While the plant is young, it can be a good idea to train the roses to grow vertically by tying the vines loosely to the trellis with thin wire. This may need to be done often throughout the growing season as new shoots appear.
Even though cabbage roses are trained to grow on a trellis, they may nonetheless become unruly and need to be pruned. This should be done several times throughout the season beginning in the spring just before new buds appear. At this time, gardeners can remove dead or diseased branches and help shape the rose bush. Later in the season, buds can be trimmed to no more than two per stem, as this helps encourage new growth and normally results in bigger blossoms as well.
