Question
Where and when can roses be grown? How tall do they grow? How long can they live?  

Answer
Hi Didi,
Sorry for delaying my answer. My PC has just been repaired.
Roses need an average of six hours of sun a day to prosper. They need at least 2 gallons of water per week for the growing season. Roses grow best in loose, loamy soil with good drainage and a slightly acid pH. You can ask your state agricultural extension service to test a soil sample, if you want. Usually you can start digging a hole 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. The roots need plenty of turned, enriched soil in which to grow. To enrich soil that need amending, add rotted manure, compost, humus and so on to the soil. Return about half of mixture to the hole for a support the rose. Although as a rule roses tolerate the cold better than most ornamentals, tree roses are sensitive to the drying effects of winter wind, sun and temperature fluctuations around the freezing point. And they cannot survive without protection where temperatures drop below 10 degree F. The surest protection against wintry condition is burial. After the first frost, cut back the canes to a length no greater than 2 feet. Dig narrow ditch as long as the plant is tall. After loosening the soil around the roots, gently bend the trunk down until the entire plant is lying in the ditch. Backfill, then cover the plant with a mound of soil several inches high. If you expect subzero temperatures during the winter, cover the mound with several more inches of organic mulch or plastic sheet. In spring, when the ground has completely thawed and all danger of frost is past, and gently raise the plant to an upright position. Firm the soil around the root ball. They require three indispensable nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The fertilizer most commonly used for roses is labeled15-15-15, which means that 45 percent of the mix consists of equal parts of the three main nutrients. The other 55 percent is filler, with traces of elements such as sulfur, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc.
Good luck to you! Ken