Rose Hedges

Rose hedges are a great way to add some beauty, privacy and security to your home. Find out how to plant them, which varieties and breeds to use, and where to do it.

Getting the right kind of plant for your hedge is important. You’ll want to get a type that will grow to the appropriate height, be manageable from a pruning and care standpoint, and be hardy. Since they’ll be tough to access, you don’t want to have to be constantly working on them. You’ll first want to consider the height. I usually consider hedges from about 2 ft to 6 feet tall. Even two feet is pretty short in my opinion. At those low heights I start maybe considering them border roses I think. In any case, you can always use a miniature. You can also mix and match some of them together to add some variety. The best ones to get depend on your gardening zone. Here are some recommended varieties:

Three to Five Feet

Nearly Wild

Knockout

Over Five Feet

William Baffin

Penelope

Freedom Hedge

Planting

For planting distances, you’ll hear anywhere from 18 to 36 inches apart. I generally say check with the rose breeder for the best numbers rather than just a set rule of thumb of say 24 inches. Some species don’t work well crunched together. Just know that planting closer together may complicate some maintenance issues, but will get you a fuller hedge quicker.

Pruning

You can prune these much more aggressively than your “show” varieties. You can use big green mechanical bush trimmers if you need to, like your are working on an evergreen! Some people say to really trim down the tops and sides, by as much as a third on top. I think that’s a little extreme. You can definite hack away at some of the dead blooms and awkward dead canes though.
.