Botanical Name: Rosa 'Simplicity'
Common Name: Rose 'Simplicity'

 

Use: Outdoors
Indigenous/Exotic : Exotic
Evergreen/Deciduous : Evergreen
Plant Type : Rose
Flower Colour : Pink
Foliage Colour : Green
Best Season : Summer to Autumn
Light : Sun
Hardiness : Hardy
Attributes : Cut Flower
Height (m) : 1.2
Spread (m) :
    
Notes : This pink floribunda is being planted very successfully in huge landscape projects as well as tens of thousands of gardens in the USA rivalling Iceberg. Its never ending display of semi-double, clear pink flowers, are made up of about 15 firm petals. The name Simplicity refers not only to the clean simple appearance but as much to the simplicity of planting a rose which needs very little care. In South Africa this does not imply that the rose does not need water on a regular basis.

 

Planting:
Soak the area where you intend planting in advance to make the soil more manageable. Excavate the upper 30 - 40 centimetres of topsoil and place on the side. Loosen the subsoil to a depth of at least 30 centimetres. Add any organics eg. compost, leaves, sawdust, etc and mix with the loosened subsoil. Ensure that water is able to drain away freely. Add a liberal amount of compost and a little well rotted manure, as well as a sprinkling of superphosphate or bonemeal and a general fertiliser over the topsoil which was initially placed on the side of the bed. Now mix these well. Shovel the mixed and enriched topsoil back into the hole. Stake the position of the rose and make the hole just big enough to take the container easily. Cut the bag and remove the plant. Check the condition of the roots and if they appear to be tight, loosen the rootball by breaking it open in order that the roots make good contact with the fresh soil. If the rootball appears fresh and loose - leave undisturbed. Place the plant in the hole and make sure of the correct height by adding or taking away the soil from under it. If the bud-union is already below the surface of the soil in the container, it is only necessary to have the top of the container rootball covered with a very thin layer of soil. If the bud-union is visible above the soil level in the container, make sure that the bud-union is 5 - 6 centimetres below the level of your bed. Once the plant is positioned correctly, fill in with the enriched soil and firm down well with your feet to eliminate air pockets. Form a basin around the plant. Water with approximately 20 litres. Firm soil down again the next day. Once the soil has settled down after 2 - 3 weeks, level out the basins and mulch the whole bed.

 

Watering:
For normal garden soil with a fair content of organics mixed in, the recommendation is to water at least twice a week. The water must be able to soak down past the root zone which is about 30 centimetres deep. Watering daily with a suitable irrigation system during the hot summer is advantageous since it cools down the soil as well and provides a fresh source of water.

 

Fertilising:
Plants do not mind in which form they receive nutrition be it in organic or inorganic form. A balance of both is best. It suffices that quantities of compost and manure are used when planting. Also dig in a fresh supply in winter after pruning. To achieve virtual continuous flowering it is essential that the roses receive nutrition regularly. A handful (50 grams) of a suitable fertiliser such as 8 :1:5 (25) or 5:1:5 should be sprinkled over each bush and once every month to every 6 weeks. By throwing it over the bush and letting the granules fall through the foliage, it will land scattered and not in a heap. Immediate watering dissolves the fertiliser and carries it to the roots. In this way it cannot burn. The last application of fertiliser should be in April for temperate regions, and in early March in cold regions.

 

Mulching:
Rose bushes have a shallow root system and any disturbance, be it through dig ging or scratching around the base of the bushes, or simply when the tips of hair roots are burnt through excessive high soil temperature, will cause a lack of sap flow and eventually result in the dreaded die-back. Therefore, it is really essential that the roots are properly protected by a mulch that provides insulation from heat, conservation of water evaporation, and the limiting of weed growth, but does not block air, water and fertiliser from penetrating through it on their way to the roots. This requires the layer of mulch to be sufficiently thick - about 5 to 10 centimetres - and to be coarse.

 

Pest and Disease Control:
There are numerous pests and fungus diseases which either destroy the foliage or the blooms and even the roots. Black Spot, Downy Mildew, Red Spider and CMR or fruit beetles can all be troublesome. Consult your local nurseryman to establish a control system that best suits your area.