Light. Give it at least 6 hours of sun a day for good bloom.
Water. Water often while it settles in; after that it needs little irrigation. Drip watering keeps leaves dry and discourages fungal disease.
Soil and feeding. Work organic matter such as Black Kow composted cow manure into the whole bed and mulch heavily. In South Florida, feed roses year-round with a rose fertilizer containing micronutrients, or use a slow-release product twice a year.
Size. Usually 6 ft or more; it can reach 7–8 ft and look a bit gangly.
Pruning. Prune lightly, and only when needed. One pruning a year in January or February is enough.
Problems to watch. It resists black spot and chilli thrips. Powdery mildew and leaf spots are the common rose diseases in Florida.
Good to know. A China rose also called the Florida Cracker Rose. Old garden roses establish slowly: they sleep the first year, creep the second and leap the third.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Roses for Florida · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Roses · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Antique Roses
