Growing Tea roses in your garden

Many rose lovers would love to grow some magnificent Teas in their garden but it's not so easy as it seems.

Tea roses have less hardiness than Hybrid Teas and many other rose families. Their ancestors came from moderate to warm climates (R. Gigantea, R. Chinensis) and were often crossed with Noisettes, other China's and Bourbons. 

We can safely say that Tea roses, China's and Tea Noisettes are Hardy in climate zones 8b and more but many will also grow in zone 7b. Zone 8b means that winter temperatures can drop to -12° Celsius which isn't cold enough to kill most Teas. If you live in zone 7b you can opt for the most Hardy teas such as Lady Hillingdon, Rêve d'or, Archiduc Joseph, Safrano and Mrs B.R Cant. Duchesse de Brabant (Comtesse de Labarthé) is also a good option. Just remember to give them the most warm and sunny position in your garden.

If you aren't in zones 7b and higher but you have a heated greenhouse or a conservatory it's easy to keep them safe in winter as most Teas (not the climbers) do very well in pots. It's no hard labor to bring them back outdoors in April or May. You just have to water them regularly and often they reward you with blooms very late and very early in the season.

Teas thrive in almost every soil but slightly acidic (ph 6,8) is preferred. Always remember that the soil needs to be well drained. Heavy clay isn't advisable as it can turn the ground very boggy. When you give water and it isn't drained into the soil within 20 minutes then your soil is unsuitable for Teas but also any other rose. Roses HATE stagnant water and it can kill them within two days.

Lots of organic material is advised so mulch your top soil with compost of your own choosing. Worm castings, composted farm manure, leaf compost, mushroom 🍄 compost, etc... it's all good. Don't be a cheapskate, give the roses a thick layer in Autumn

Tea roses have a legendary resentment against pruning (just like China's, Noisettes and many Bourbons) so just don't! Removing dead or sick wood is no problem as is deadheading spend flowers. Many gardeners have this urge to tidy up their gardens which also means pruning all roses. It's of major importance to resist this urge when it comes to Teas. If you do growth will stagnate and often it ends with death. If you really must prune then do it lightly.

Devoniensis climbing is an example of a Tea having a real resentment against pruning