Growing roses in shade

[GardenLover]

Recently shifted to new place where there is no direct sunlight.
But there is enough indirect light all day long.

Am very desparate to plant roses here.
Although I am fine if the roses produce lesser and
smaller blooms.
Please provide me some tips on how to grow roses in
these conditions.

 

[Sheal]

Roses are sun lovers and sorry, I think you would be wasting your time planting them. They really need a minimum of four hours of sunlight a day to thrive and without this the chances are they may not bloom at all and just become sickly plants.

 

[Beth_B]

I agree...I would love to plant roses but everything I read tells me they need 4-6 hours of direct sunlight and I don't have that . And why would you want sickly, small blooms? I think you are on the right track looking for shade alternatives (your other thread.) There are tons of colorful flowering shade plants available...

 

[marlingardener]

There are a few roses that tolerate shade. Zephirine Drouhin is one, Sophy's Rose another. We have a Clytemnestra growing up the trunk of a large ashe juniper tree--lots of shade, but again, we are in a hot climate and shade is appreciated by plants and people! Here is a link written by a man with a shaded garden who has grown roses.http://www.rose.org/growing-roses-in-partial-shade/
Smaller blooms aren't necessarily a bad thing, especially if the rose is scented.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I have a shade garden. And through my years of garden experience, when I sought the "rose" that would work. The only one is ---when you read the description of it, make sure you read both these words in ---- can handle some shade and vigorous. ITs the vigorous part that will help it "stay alive" in the shade. While it cannot be deep shade, but there should be at least 4 hours of sunlight as the sun moves around the trees. I have one rose shrub, that will give me some blooms in the summer, and has lasted in that area for 10 years so far. Please do not ask me the name of it, too long ago. I also have a climber that is in less sun area than the shrub, it is surviving for three years now with only a few blooms, trying to get it to climb up in the lilac tree which is more sun than the bottom part of it. And that one was also labeled as vigorous and can handle some shade.

 

[Sheal]

With respect @marlingardener your link refers to a garden which is partially shaded but does get sunshine at sometime during the course of a day. GardenLover says he/she doesn't get any direct sunlight at all which is why I think roses would suffer.

 

[GardenLover]

Just a doubt in my mind about the sunlight theory.....
Assuming I find a place where there is 4 hours of direct sunlight.
In this part of the world, the rainy season is approx. 4 months long.
The sky is cloudy for most of the rainy season.
What would be the effect of cloudy sunlight on roses ?

 

[Beth_B]

Just a doubt in my mind about the sunlight theory.....
Assuming I find a place where there is 4 hours of direct sunlight.
In this part of the world, the rainy season is approx. 4 months long.
The sky is cloudy for most of the rainy season.
What would be the effect of cloudy sunlight on roses ?

IMHO, cloudy days don't count towards direct sun. We don't have a rainy season per se here but certainly get lots of cloudy days in summer (local joke is Michiganders don't tan, they rust.)

I don't know much about growing roses, but growing sun-loving vegetables where I live is challenging...I've given up on any type of pepper, they just don't get enough sun during our short (five months, give or take) growing season to ripen.

 

[marlingardener]

GardenLover, I think your cloud cover would be comparable to our winter. The roses might even go dormant, but would perk up with the next season. Our roses don't lose leaves in winter (well, some leaves fall off, but the bush still has foliage) but they don't bloom from January to perhaps March, depending on temperatures. The same might happen with your roses.

 

[MaryMary]

Weather in India is divided into three distinct seasons - winter, summer, and the monsoon.

http://www.indiatourismecatalog.com/india_climate_weather/india_weather_seasons.html

@marlingardener, it rains from June to October, then .they have winter from November to February.



I guess it also depends on where in India GardenLover lives:

The southwest monsoon, which is the main monsoon, comes in from the sea and starts making its way up India’s west coast in early June. By mid July, most of the country is covered in rain. This gradually starts clearing from most places in northwest India by October.

The northeast monsoon affects India’s east coast during November and December. It’s a short but intense monsoon. The states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala receive most of their rainfall from the northeast monsoon, while the rest of the country receives most of its rainfall from the southwest monsoon.
http://www.indiatourismecatalog.com/india_climate_weather/india_weather_seasons.html

And there's also this:

Once the monsoons subside, average temperatures gradually fall across India. As the Sun's vertical rays move south of the equator, most of the country experiences moderately cool weather. December and January are the coldest months, with mean temperatures of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F) in Indian Himalayas. Mean temperatures are higher in the east and south, where they reach 20–25 °C (68–77 °F). In the south, it never gets cold.

 

[GardenLover]

You are right there.....@MaryMary, thanks for the climatic analysis.

I stay in Mumbai, which is located in the western part of India.

 

[Sheal]

I can only suggest that you plant one or two as a trial GardenLover and see how they respond. Roses are thirsty and hungry shrubs but they may not cope with the monsoon either. The continuous rain will wash nutrients out of the soil which means they would have to be fed regularly. Also, the rain will produce disease unless you can give them shelter at that time, perhaps a temporary arbour type construction that will allow air circulation while keeping the worst of the rain off.