Plant in full sun, at least 6 hours a day. More sun gives more flowers and fewer leaf problems.
Plant in well-drained soil with compost worked in.
Water deeply once a week through the first summer and in dry spells after that, at the base of the plant and in the morning.
Mulch 2 to 3 inches deep, keeping it back from the canes.
Feed in spring as growth starts with a rose or balanced slow-release fertilizer. Feed again lightly after the first bloom, and stop by midsummer.
Most of these rebloom without deadheading. Trimming off spent clusters keeps the plant tidy.
Prune in early spring as the buds swell. Remove dead wood, then cut the whole plant back by about a third.
Groundcover types can be sheared back in early spring.
Do not prune in fall; wait until spring.
Black spot can show up in humid summers. Space plants for air movement and rake up fallen leaves.
Plants grown on their own roots regrow true to type if a hard winter kills them back.
Japanese beetles can strip flowers and leaves in midsummer. Hand-pick them into soapy water early in the day.
Rose rosette disease causes red, bristly, distorted new shoots. Remove and destroy an affected plant, roots and all; it does not recover.