Apricot Drift® Rose

Drift® roses are vastly becoming a more popular rose bush choice on the market. They are a cross between full-size ground cover roses and miniature roses. The Apricot Drift® roses (Rosa 'Meimirrote') have a toughness that allows them to spread freely at a manageable size, are disease resistant with an expanding growth habit. They inherited their well-managed size and free-flowering nature from the miniatures. The roses grow 2 to 3 feet tall, with a lovely spread of 4 feet or more, and are a lower-maintenance alternative to other flower bed grown plants. Apricots are recommended for zones 4-10 but can also be successfully container grown. Drift® roses will produce about five flower cycles through the blooming season. The spring bloom is around April/May and the fall will be around October/November.

Selecting a location: Be sure to have a well-prepared area or raised bed for your Drift® Roses with a generous amount of organic matter, such as compost. Well-draining soil is very important so be sure water does not collect in the area you intend to plant. If you have an overabundance of clay you may want to amend the soil with small rocks, sand, or perlite to improve drainage.

Planting Directions (in the ground): A location that receives full sun (6+ hours) is best as the roses will not reach their full potential in shaded areas.

1) Dig the hole and make it twice the size of the root ball and just as deep as the container. Use your hands or a shovel to loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole.
2) Carefully remove the rose from its container. Some light tapping around the base of the pot will help free up the root ball. Loosen the roots with your hands by gently combing the bottom of the root ball. Place the plant in the hole making sure it’s level with the soil surface.
3) Start adding the native soil/gardening soil mix back around the roots. Soil amendments such as peat moss, compost, or aged manure can be mixed in with your native soil to improve the quality.
4) Thoroughly water your Apricot Drift® Rose around the base of the plant until it’s well soaked but not saturated (avoid soupy soil).
5) Mulch around the plant to help retain moisture and reduce competing growths such as weeds or grasses from growing around the plant. If left unchecked the soil nutrients may be lacking for the roses to grow.

Planting Directions (potted plant): Apricot Drift® roses can also be successfully grown in containers providing they get proper care and placement.

1) When selecting a container for your Drift® roses, be sure it has plenty of holes on the bottom as drainage is essential.
2) A good potting soil such as Miracle Grow should be fine for filling in the open pot space. Try to leave 1-1 ½ inches of space from the top of the pot lid for easy watering.
3) Choose a location such as a patio, back yard, front/side of the house providing it will receive the six or more hours of full sun it requires.

Watering (in ground): Your Apricot Drift Rose will need to be watered 1-3 times weekly depending on the weather. During the extremely hot season you may need to water more often to keep the soil moist, but avoid over saturating. Mulching really helps with retaining soil moisture.

Watering (potted): Stick your finger into the potting soil down to a depth of 2 inches and feel around for any moisture. If the soil is dry and sandy-like, go ahead and water it until you see it escaping the drainage holes and then stop. If there is still some moisture present, leave it be until the soil dries a bit more.

Fertilizing: The best time to fertilize drift roses is in the spring season with a slow-release or controlled time-release fertilizer. Add another application in late summer to help with fall blooms. Be sure to follow the application instructions on the fertilizer for the best results. Potted drift roses should be fed in the same fashion, during the growing season with a time release fertilizer in spring and again in late summer.

Pruning: Drift Roses should be pruned in early spring, never in the fall or winter. When you see new shoots begin to form from the canes that is a good sign that some pruning is needed. Sterilize your cutting tool(s) with rubbing alcohol to ensure a clean cut and so no pathogens will be contracted or spread.