Rosa floribunda 'Floral Carpet' - Inland Valley Garden Planner

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Description

Floral carpet rose cultivars are low spreading selections of the taller floribunda rose group. These carpet roses commonly grow with semi-evergreen foliage to 2 ft. tall and 4-5 ft. wide. They have arching stems are covered with sharp thorns; their dark glossy green foliage have 5-7 leaflets. Terminal sprays containing numerous flowers occur in spring and almost continuously through summer and into fall. Flower colors include white, pink, coral, red and yellow.

Floribunda ground cover roses are commonly referred to as carpet roses due to their low and spreading growth habit. They have become increasingly popular in Southern California as trouble-free plants and are used on banks, in raised planters, in containers and along borders. Most types have proven to be pest and disease resistant and are highly tolerant of sun, heat and aridity with moderate supplemental water.

Pruning and feeding ground cover roses in the late winter to early spring helps to stimulate new growth and enhance flowering. A second feeding in mid summer will continue to sustain good flowering. They grow best in full sun and on well-drained soils, and are adapted to coastal, inland, valley and desert zones. Many of these roses are registered or patented and vary in flower color and availability among nurseries; some include: Flower Carpet 'Pink' has double deep pink flowers; Flower Carpet 'Red' produces single red flowers; Flower Carpet 'White' has semi-double bright white flowers; and Flower Carpet 'Yellow' produces double yellow flowers.

Water Needs

Floribunda carpet roses are well adapted to sunny locations and regular moisture throughout the year. The chart shown below provides a recommended baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed to maintain healthy growth throughout the average year. It should be noted there are several months indicated by an asterisk (*) when winter rains can provide sufficient moisture and irrigation is not needed. The high and low range of moisture indicates it can grow with varying amounts of water, however, this cultivar does best within the higher moisture range to achieve the best flowering performance throughout the summer months.

Irrigation Schedule and Graph

Moderate Water Use Plants

Irrigation Schedule 4

	Jan*	Feb*	Mar*	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov*	Dec*
Runs per Month	0x to 3x	0x to 3x	0x to 3x	2x to 3x	2x to 3x	3x to 4x	3x to 4x	3x to 4x	2x to 3x	2x to 3x	0x to 3x	0x to 3x
Inches per Run	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"

Inches per Month	0" to 3"	0" to 3"	0" to 3"	2" to 3"	2" to 3"	3" to 4"	3" to 4"	3" to 4"	2" to 3"	2" to 3"	0" to 3"	0" to 3"

Range of supplemental summer water: 17"-24"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-15"

0"-3"

2"-3"

3"-4"

2"-3"

0"-3"

Jan*

Feb*

Mar*

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov*

Dec*

For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, click here.

Plant Properties

Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover
Foliage Character: Semi-deciduous
Habit: Upright, Sprawling, Mounding, Climbing, Arching
Growth Rate: Moderate
Height: 2 ft.
Width: 4 ft. - 5 ft.
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: Red, Pink, Yellow, White, Lavender
Flower Season: Summer, Spring, Fall
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Loam
Exposure Adaptations: Heat, Frost, All day sun
Function: Raised planters, Parks and open space, Overhead structures, Mass planting, Foundations, Flowering accent plant, Espalier, Borders, Banks, Attracts bees, Small spaces

Maintenance

This is an easy to care for Rose, as far as Roses go. Cut back by 1/3 when dormant in the winter, using pruners if you only have a few plants, or manual hedge shears if you have many (19). Fertilize with an all purpose or flowering plant organic fertilizer, following instructions on the box. Fertilize in February, and then, if desired, after each bloom cycle fades a bit to encourage continued blooms through the warm season. Stop fertilizing in the Fall. Maintain and refresh a 2-3 inch layer of mulch, and use some compost under the mulch if you have it. If you have disease issues on your roses, completely removing the mulch under your roses when you prune, putting all prunings and the mulch in your green waste bin, and then putting down fresh new mulch can potentially help (S).

References