- 1). Plant your home run rose bush in rich, well-drained soil in an area that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine per day; the rose bush will bloom more profusely if it gets 8 hours of sunshine a day.
- 2). Water the rose bush whenever rainfall doesn't provide at least 2 inches of water per week. Direct water from a hose or watering can at the base of the rose bush rather than spraying it from above to prevent rust (a fungal disease). If possible, install a soaker rose or other buried irrigation system, as this is the best watering strategy for roses.
- 3). Fertilize the rose in the early spring and then monthly until about a month before the first frost date of fall. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer package; most granular fertilizers specify scratching 1/2 cup into the soil around the base of the rose bush.
- 4). Clean up fallen leaves, blossoms and mulch surrounding the rose bush in the late fall to prevent harboring and wintering-over any disease or insect predators.
- 5). Protect your home run rose in USDA zones north of zone 4; home run is hardy to zone 4, but will need winter protection in colder areas. In the late fall, mound hauled-in soil around the base of the rose bush, to a height of about 12 inches. Cover the entire bush with leaves or straw after the mounded soil freezes.
- 6). Remove leaves or straw and mounded soil from around the rose bush as it thaws in the spring.
- 7). Prune away damaged or diseased canes in the early spring, and tip-prune the remaining canes. Home run rose bushes respond to light pruning, and don't need to be be severely cut back. To tip prune, remove only the last 2 inches off the length of most canes.
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