HOW TO HELP YOUR OLD ROSES TO NEW GLORY.(LIFE & LEISURE)

Byline: MARTY HAIR Knight-Ridder Newspapers

Old garden roses should be planted with the graft or bud union an inch below soil surface, says Frank von Koss, who chairs the American Rose Society's Old Garden Roses Committee.

Because they reach 3-7 feet high, old garden roses may profit from staking.

Most old garden roses do not need heavy fertilizers; the hybrid perpetuals, teas, China and Bourbons can use more frequent feeding.

As with other roses, stop fertilizer applications in early August so new growth can harden before cold weather.

Pruning is minimal on old garden roses. Remove dead canes.

To encourage blooms and …