rose [Countess of Wessex]

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun, ideal for training as a short climber on a wall or fence and good for hedging. Mulch with well-rotted organic matter in late winter or early spring, and for best flowering apply a general rose or shrub fertiliser in early spring and again in early summer. See rose cultivation

See pruning group 20 (shrub roses) or if trained as a short climber see pruning group 17 (climbing roses)

For home use, propagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn, softwood cuttings (under glass) in spring or summer or by chip budding in summer

May be susceptible to aphids, rose leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects, caterpillars, large rose sawfly, rose slugworm sawfly and rose leaf-rolling sawfly. Deer and rabbits can cause damage

May be susceptible to rose black spot, rose rust, replant disease, rose dieback, and rose powdery mildew. May also be susceptible to disorders rose blindness and flower balling