How to Grow a Cherokee Rose

Select a well-ventilated, open site in an area of full sun to provide enough room for the plant to grow and spread. You can plant roses anytime between early spring and early fall.

Amend soil by spreading 2 to 4 inches of organic matter such as compost or rotted manure over planting site. Work well at a depth of about 12 inches with a shovel. Roses prefer a pH of 5.5 to 7.

Dig a 15-inch deep and 18-inch wide planting hole. Add about three shovelfuls of organic matter to the soil that you removed from the hole. Mix well.

Space adequately for healthy growth of plants. If you are planting more than one Cherokee rose, space the plants 8 to 12 feet apart, as recommended by the Ohio State University Extension.

Remove the plant carefully from the container and set it in the planting hole at the same depth as the container. If the hole is deeper than this, take plant out, place some soil at the bottom and plant again at the right depth so that the top of the root ball is level with the soil line.

Fill the planting hole with amended soil. Water well to settle the soil. Add more soil if needed to level the ground around the new plant.

Water regularly to keep soil moist. Avoid the use of overhead sprinklers as this leads to foliar diseases.

Apply 2 inches of mulch around plant to help conserve soil moisture and reduce weeds. Start applying mulch a few inches away from the plant.