How to Grow/Care for Rosa Rugosa

Many gardeners put rosa rugosas in the same category as other modern roses growing in the garden. They decide to treat them the same way. Big mistake! I am addressing the care free nature of these semi wild beauties!
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[@shemaya4979]

Jason from Fraser Vally Rose Farm Recommended you ❤✌

[@OlgaCarmody]

YES! So cool! I noticed an explosion of activity on my channel and then saw the upload from Jason with my face in the picture. Feels so good!

[@carolorr4280]

Just what I needed to hear. We were about to cut back our rugosa roses this winter, but you just saved me a garden task! Thanks 😊!

[@OlgaCarmody]

Great Carol, your Rosa rugosas will be happy.

[@diannemoore878]

Wonderful to listen to your description. I am definitely going to grow this beautiful rose

[@frankryan782]

Wonderful connection with your rosa

[@karariekstins366]

Thank you so much for the detailed information. I live in zone 10, I need a hardy, compact rose for a narrow space. I assumed a rugosa would fit the hardiness, but thank you for the additional info because this won't work for me.

[@marymcandrew7667]

We planted 4 Rosa rugosas last year, two pink and two white. The hips this autumn are beautiful and the leaves turning color also beautiful! I'm glad to learn some care facts from you, I am just learning how to care for roses. We do have the room for them so we'll see what happens! (Scottish Borders)

[@OlgaCarmody]

Great, glad to share!

[@alexandraderry7086]

Thank you for this very informative video! We moved to a new home and found this rose in our garden. It had a lot of dead canes, and I tried to prune those away in fall. I left the long healthy canes over winter. (We ended up get a ton of heavy wet snow fall in late fall. Many tree branches all over the yard were broken. I have a question about how to prune the canes that were broken from heavy snow? Thank you.

[@OlgaCarmody]

Hi Aleandra, it is a pity that your rose got all damaged by heavy snow. It is a tough survivor and it will bounce back. You can help it by doing pruning. Prune all the damaged stems to the healthy bud, and make a cut just above it. Use good sharp pruners, this way the cut is clean and you throw away and the broken stems. Happy gardening!

[@barbarawissinger]

I have Rosa Rugosa under my cherry tree and it is very happy there. It is shady and the tree roots keep it from speading much, but it is lovely and stops most weeds..

[@OlgaCarmody]

Yes, one happy plant Rosa rugosas is! I hearted your post under Jason’s feature video about 5 fav. gardeners of his! thank you!

[@TIERRAYLOMBRICES]

😊😊😊Thank you I have a list if roses that I want to plant next spring and rosa rugosa is or was in that list.

[@OlgaCarmody]

You’re welcome 😊

[@nymode]

Thank you for your content. How (+ when) do you harvest the hips? And, how do you prepare them for tea?

[@OlgaCarmody]

I used to snip all the hips from rosa rugosas and my mom used to put boiling water over them and let it sit overnight in the closed container. Next day, honey added and drink is ready.

[@marilynhudson7182]

I never knew any of this information or history about Rugosa Roses but how interesting! We grew two Rugosa "Hansa" about 20 years ago at our home back then. SE NC zone 8B. The fragrance was rich, I still remember those soft leaves and they got big after two years. But my husband's rose addiction just started and due to the combination of the catalogs and impatience there would be many others along the way who suffered the same fate🤣........But looking back Hansa was great if you have the room.

[@OlgaCarmody]

Yes, care free beauties! If I ever move and have a bigger chunk of land, Rosa rugosas will be back to my property. Haha, rose addiction!

[@DivineSource444]

What about aphids? My Rosa Rugosa has a few aphids on the new rose buds. Can I use an insecticidal soap without damaging the new buds?

[@OlgaCarmody]

Yes, I just made a video on aphids, will air it soon. Insecticidal soap is great to use.

[@Bambina336]

Ha! I was wondering why mine barely blooms and not doing so well yet, there are so much new growth. Should I cut it all off in fall or spring? Do you prune the main rose?

[@OlgaCarmody]

Rosa rugosa dislike pruning, I learned it hard way, fighting with my rugosa for some years and trying to fit it into the space I gave her. If you have to, do the pruning at the beginning of spring. Or, better, look for a different plant to be in that space. I know, it sounds easy.

[@Bambina336]

@@OlgaCarmody Thank you! In two years, mine went from a single plant to one covering over 5 feet radius ( with new growth) but I had total of maybe 4 blooms on it this year. I'll trim it spring. What really annoys me is the grass that grows with it and I can't cut it without cutting the rose. So that's probably a reason more to trim it back this Spring and figure out how to prevent the grass from growing there too.

[@doniellestenson3502]

Do not use miracle grow or any chemical fertilizer. It burns the foliage.

[@tamaraalkis6408]

Is it necessary to deadhead this rose. Will the rose rebloom?

[@OlgaCarmody]

If you want your rose to rebloom, deadhead. Otherwise rose will spend all its energy on forming hips.

[@Blue_Azure101]

It is very hardy. I had the misfortune of sitting on one by accident. 😅

[@OlgaCarmody]

Oh my, quite a misfortune! It is very prickly!