Rosa Hot Chocolate (‘Wekpaltez’) (PBR)

Voted ‘Novelty Rose of the Year 2006’ by the National Rose Society. From early summer rusty orange buds open to warm, smoky-brown roses, which have a good scent. They appear in trusses continually throught the season above the handsome, glossy foliage and look particularly good in ‘hot’ themed borders. As they are reasonably compact, they are also suitable for growing in a large pot on a sunny patio.

All our roses are grown in an open field and then dug up when the weather conditions are right in October or November. Some suppliers send out their roses as ‘bare root’ plants (ie without pots or compost), but we pot ours up as it helps to keep the roots hydrated and in good condition. As they are dormant throughout the winter, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don’t be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when you take them out of their pots. The roses can be kept in their pots throughout the winter provided they are kept well fed and watered, however ideally they should be planted out as soon as possible. They will already have been cut back so no further pruning will be required, apart from snipping off any tips that have died back. Routine pruning can begin in late winter the year after planting.

Remove the plants from their pots and gently spread out the roots before placing them in the centre of the hole. Try to ensure that the ‘bud union’ (the point where the cultivated rose has been grafted onto the rootstock, and from where the shoots emerge) is at soil level. You can judge this quite easily by laying something flat, like a spade handle or bamboo cane, across the top of the hole. When they are at the right height, back-fill the hole, firming the soil down gently before watering the plant well.

Water generously until well established, and apply a specialist rose fertiliser (following the manufacturer’s instructions) each spring. They will also benefit from a generous mulch of composted farmyard manure in spring, but make sure this is kept away from the stems.

While wearing tough gloves, prune in late winter or early spring, removing any dead, damaged or weak-looking stems completely. The younger stems tend to produce the best flowers, so if the plant is becoming congested, cut one or two of the older stems right back to their base, which will also help open up the centre of the plant. Then cut back the most vigorous stems to within 25-30cm from the base, and the thinner stems back a little harder.