How to Grow Your Own Roses to Use in the Kitchen

Roses are something most of us have some familiarity with, particularly in the bouquet or singular long-stem form. We’ve probably given them at some point. We’ve probably received them. We may even know that they come in colors far more expansive than the classic Valentine’s Day red.

But, giving them and growing them are two vastly different things. Roses have a reputation as being a difficult plant to grow, with all sorts of insider rules to follow and special care techniques. For many, the reputation alone has been deterrent enough to steer clear of cultivating roses.

The thing is, though, the roses we buy at florists have been grown for beauty and purity, which usually means a good dousing in agrochemicals. In other words, they are fit for the kitchen. So, if eating roses is something one might want to do—and, oh, one should—then growing roses at home is pretty much a must.

And, it’s totally doable. Think of it this way: Wild roses grow so prolifically that they are considered an invasive weed that people chop with abandon. So, it can’t be all that difficult.

Which Roses to Grow?

Growing roses for the kitchen begins with choosing the right type. The roses we find at flower shops are grown for use in flower shops. They are not the best edible varieties. In fact, those pretty roses are much more troublesome to grow. For comestible roses, we want certain character traits.

• Older varieties are the right place to start. These roses were bred not just for beauty but also for fragrance and fruit, from a time when growing food at home was standard practice. Fragrant roses tend to be the tastiest. Newer varieties have been bred for beauty, usually at the expense of more practical uses.
• Generally, there are two ways to buy rose plants: Own-root vs. grafted. As their name suggests, own-root plants use their own roots rather than grafting onto a rootstock. This makes for hardier plants. Plus, if the rose plant freezes and dies back to the ground, what grows back is the right selection of rose.
• David Austin was a renowned rose breeder, and some of his creations focused on edibility, aromatic, and large rose hips. For those of us growing for the kitchen, this is much more important than beauty, not to say Austin’s roses are gorgeous. They are.

Source: GrowOrganic Peaceful Valley/YouTube

Aren’t Roses Hard to Grow Organically?

While roses may have the reputation of being difficult to grow, as if chemicals are necessary, that is certainly not true. Agrochemicals didn’t exist a hundred years ago, but roses were still a thing back then. They managed to grow them somehow, right? There are some steps we can take to make it all work more smoothly.

• Using an own-root rose provides better natural disease resistance and durability against pests. It’s always better to start with a good plant.
• As with most organically grown plants, if we mulch them well and feed them with compost, we’ve helped make sure they have rich, moist soil, i.e., a good diet and a comfortable place to live.
• Like many perennial plants and trees, roses benefit from a timely annual pruning. Timely usually means when the plant is still dormant, so it’s best to cut away all the dead and unwanted parts of the plant in winter. Pruning obviously diseased pieces off during the year helps, too.
• It helps to remember that our rose bushes value edibility over beauty. That means some visual damage is not detrimental to our cause, as we are getting tasty blooms, buds, and rosehips.

Source: Project Diaries/YouTube

What Are the Challenges with Roses?

Choosing plants well is a good start, and mulching and composting generally makes for healthier plants, as does good pruning (hygienic grooming, so to speak). However, even if the most conscientious of people sometimes get ill, so we can’t expect our roses will never feel the same. We might have to give them a little homespun medicine.

• Fungi (canker, black spot, and botrytis) and mildew (powdery mildew) are common disease issues for roses. The first thing to do is cut and take away the infected leaves, branches, etc. These problems often arise because the plant isn’t getting sufficient airflow, so it helps to prune and give everything some space.
• Insects also like to go after rose, particularly Japanese beetles, rose chafers, rosebud borers, spider mites, and aphids. Attracting beneficial insects, using organic foliar sprays like neem or soapy water, and companion plants can help control this.

Source: longcreekherbs/YouTube

Recipes:

• Rose Iced Latte [Vegan, Gluten-Free]
• Raspberry Rose Sorbet [Vegan, Gluten-Free]
• Rose Petal, Cashew, and Olive Oil Granola [Vegan]
• Rose Petals & Cardamom Syrup [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Related Content:

• 10 Things You Can Do with Rose Petals
• How to Use Roses in Your Kitchen
• DIY Rose Water and Vegetable Glycerine Toner

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our many plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App which has thousands of delicious recipes making it the largest vegan recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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