Rose: Botanical & General Information

• Botanical Name: Rosa species
• Family: Rosaceae
• Origin: India (Northern Hemisphere)
• National Flower: England, Iran, and United Kingdom
• Interesting Fact: Roses are one of the oldest known flowers.
• Expensive Variety: Juliet Rose developed by David Austin
• Seed Type: Achenes
• Blue Pigmentation: Due to Delphinine
• Gulkand: Made from rose petals and sugar in a 1:1 ratio

Symbolism of Rose Colors

Each rose color carries its own unique meaning:

• Red Roses: Love and passion
• White Roses: Innocence and spirituality
• Yellow Roses: Warmth, friendship, and joy
• Pink Roses: Gratitude, elegance, and sweetness
• Orange Roses: Pride, energy, and intense desire
• Blue Roses: Secret love, mystery, and uniqueness
• Lavender Roses: Love at first sight, wonder, and enchantment
• Black Roses: End of a relationship, change, and courage

Climate Requirement

• Dislikes humid climate but tolerates high temperatures
• Below 10°C affects flowering; results in blind shoots and bull heads

Soil Requirements

• Suitable soils: Sandy-loam, Red-loam, Silty-loam
• Ideal pH: 6.0 to 7.5
• Avoid: Saline soils (rose is highly sensitive)

Plant Physiology & Flowering

• Photoperiodic response: Day-neutral
• Blooming habit: Terminal flowering on current season’s growth
• Reblooming: Most modern roses are repeat bloomers (unlike old garden roses)
• Blind Shoots: Shoots that fail to flower due to poor light/nutrition/hormone imbalance

Temperature and Light Requirement

• Optimum day temperature: 25–30°C
• Night temperature: 15–20°C
• Light requirement: Minimum 5–6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• In low light, stem elongation increases, and flower quality declines.

Varieties

• Father of Rose in India: Dr. B. P. Pal (developed ‘Rose Sherbat’)
• First Indian Rose Breeder: Dr. B. K. Roy Chaudhary
• Thornless Variety: Suchitra

Hybrid Teas & Floribundas (for garden & pots)

• Hybrid Teas: Gladiator, Raktima, Grand Gala, Aditya
• Floribundas: Red Front, Olympic Gold, Mother Teresa

Loose Flowers (commercial); Rosa damascena, Ruby Star, Tri Star (suitable for Telangana)

Land Preparation

• Plough land 4–5 times in May
• Expose land to sun for 15 days
• Prepare pits: 45 cm × 45 cm × 30 cm for planting

Spacing

• Low-density: 0.75m × 0.75m (~7,000 plants/acre; 1.729 plants/m²)
• High-density (greenhouse): ~28,000 plants/acre (7 plants/m²)
• Standard Roses: 90–100 cm spacing

Planting

• Pit size: 60–90 cm wide × 60–75 cm deep
• Best planting period: End of September to mid-October

Propagation Methods

• Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Budding
• Commercial method: T-budding (best time: Nov–Feb)
• Challenge in Breeding: Seed setting is a major issue
• Seed Propagation: For developing new varieties

Fertilizer & Nutrition Management

• Requires balanced NPK (Nitrogen for growth, Phosphorus for rooting and flowering, Potassium for quality).
• Example dose for field:
  • Nitrogen: 100–150 kg/ha/year
  • Phosphorus: 60–80 kg/ha/year
  • Potassium: 100–150 kg/ha/year
• Micronutrients: Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, and Zinc crucial for color and leaf quality.
• Fertigation: Widely used in polyhouse roses for efficient nutrient use.

Irrigation

• Rose is sensitive to waterlogging.
• Frequent but light irrigation is preferred.
• Drip irrigation is ideal (especially in greenhouse).
• Water stress affects bud size and stem length.

Rootstocks

• Multiflora: Suited for hill stations
• Briar: Suitable for medium altitude
• Edward: Adapted to both conditions
• Rosa multiflora: Common in western India
• Rosa indica var. odorata: Common in north India
• Bud union is sensitive to low temperatures

Budding Technique

• Use bud wood with eye
• Create ‘T’-shaped cut in stock plant
• Insert shield-shaped bud and tie with fibre
• Blooming takes ~60–65 days after budding

Pruning

• Essential for healthy shoots and good-quality flowers
• Conducted after winter (October best)
• Old stems are pruned to rejuvenate the plant
• Hybrid teas may require severe pruning
• Tea roses: prune 2/3 of strong shoots
• Climbing roses: generally no pruning
• Encourages flowering as roses bloom terminally on new shoots
• Excess shoots reduce flower size and number
• Flowering begins 35–60 days after pruning

Harvesting

• First blooms appear from October (if planted in July–August)
• Plant yields economically for up to 3 years

Plucking Stage

• Pluck at bud stage, just before full bloom
• Stalk length: 9 to 12 inches
• Evening plucking preferred to retain freshness

Packaging & Transport

• Buds bundled in groups of 100
• Transported in bamboo baskets floating on water
• Cut ends must touch water
• Covered with wet linen or newspaper
• Pulsing treatment improves shelf life

Commercial Life

• Rose plants remain commercially viable for 8 years

Plant Protection in Roses

Insect Pests

Diseases

Physiological Disorder

Rose Products and Uses

• Perfume industry: Rosa damascena and Rosa centifolia used
• Attar of Roses: Steam distillation of damascena petals
• Rose Water: Used in cosmetics and food
• Rose Oil: Highly valuable, extracted from petals
• Gulkand: Medicinal sweet preserve
• Floral Jams, Syrups, and Teas
• Cosmetics & Aromatherapy

Post-Harvest Treatments

• Vase life enhancers: Use of citric acid, sucrose, and biocides
• Floral preservatives: Silver thiosulphate (STS), 8-HQC, Aluminum sulfate
• Grading standards: Based on stem length, flower diameter, freshness

Greenhouse Cultivation

• Used for export-quality roses
• Controlled environment improves stem length, bud uniformity
• Use of CO₂ enrichment, shading nets, and foggers
• Grown on raised beds or hydroponically (e.g., coco peat, rock wool)

Export & Economy

• India exports roses to Middle East, Netherlands, Japan, and Southeast Asia
• Major producing states: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
• Roses are a high-value floriculture crop, especially for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and weddings

Breeding Goals

• Fragrance, Color, Recurrent blooming
• Disease resistance
• Thornlessness
• Longer vase life
• Novel colors (blue, black via genetic engineering)

Interesting Facts

• World Rose Day (Welfare of cancer patients): Celebrated on September 22
• World Rose Society: Promotes rose culture and education globally
• Over 35,000 cultivars of roses are registered globally.