How To Grow A Mr. Lincoln Hybrid Tea Red Rose

The Mr. Lincoln hybrid tea rose is a classic rose with sweet-smelling multiple petaled blooms on long stems. It is a durable rose bush that will grow in most parts of the US. However, it is prone to many of the same disease problems as other tea roses such as black spot and powdery mildew, so planting it in a location with the proper amount of sun and air circulation is important. The Mr. Lincoln hybrid tea rose has a tall upright habit, up to 7 feet tall, so it should be placed in the back of the garden or given its own space to grow as a specimen plant.

Step 1

Determine the zone of your garden by consulting the map on the USDA site (http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html). Mr. Lincoln is hardy in USDA Zones 5 to 9.

Step 2

Locate a place in the garden that receives full to partial sun. The Mr. Lincoln rose prefers to grow in an area with at least six hours of sun but will grow with as little as four hours of direct sun during the day. The location must have good air circulation to protect against fungal diseases. Also, the area you choose to plant the Mr. Lincoln hybrid tea rose needs to be well-drained as rose bushes don't like to sit in water for long periods of time.

Step 3

Plant the Mr. Lincoln hybrid tea rose in a mixture of one-half well-rotted compost and one-half native soil. The graft is the area that is the thick offset area on the trunk above the roots. It should be planted 1 to 2 inches below the ground in areas where the ground freezes in the winter and slightly above the ground everywhere else.

Step 4

Cover the surface of the ground over the root area with a 1-inch layer of mulch leaving a 1-inch gap between the trunk of the rose bush and the mulch so mildew cannot spread to the rose bush.

Step 5

Fertilize the rose bush with a fertilizer recommended for roses and follow the application instructions on the label carefully. Do not over fertilize.

Step 6

Deadhead the Mr. Lincoln hybrid tea rose by cutting the old flowers off as they fade. Cut to the third or fourth leaf node below the old bloom at a 45 degree angle. Prune out any dead wood and canes that cross other canes. Water sprouts are vigorous succulent green shoots that come out of the ground around the base of the rose bush. Prune them to just below ground level.