Garden roses have changed a lot in the last 30 years, and more and more of them are of the ‘landscape’ type, with more simple, open blooms that don’t have much in common with the classic pointed form of the florists’ rose. If you miss the days of garden roses that look like that, but don’t want the old problems of growing them, and the intermittent flowering, then we have the answer for you. The Mustard & Ketchup Rose has all that timeless classic beauty, combined with all the modern vigor, disease resistance and continuous blooming. It carries huge, 4-inch blooms on foot-long single stems, perfect for cutting, and these are produced in abundance throughout the season. What exciting blooms they are. Every petal is like red velvet, with a golden-yellow back, creating gorgeous bi-color blooms that look as fabulous in the garden as they do in a vase. Enjoy the best of both worlds with this superb rose.

Growing the Mustard & Ketchup Rose Tree

Size and Appearance

The Mustard & Ketchup Rose grows rapidly into an upright bush, reaching each season to a height of as much as 5 feet, and a width of about 3 feet, with many branches growing upright from ground level. The stems are thick and sturdy, with a few large thorns, but the side-branches are generally free of prickles. The glossy, rich-green leaves are up to 5 inches long, but divided into 5 leaflets (sometimes 3 or 7). The slightly leathery leaflets are pointed ovals with tiny serrations along the edges. Good disease-resistance means they stay healthy and on the bush all season.

Blooms are carried on many slender stems that grow from the main branches, with new stems being continuously produced. These strong stems are up to 15 inches long, and end in a large bud. This opens into a huge bloom with velvety petals wrapped around each other in the perfect classic tea-rose form. They even have the timeless tea rose fragrance. Rising to a point in the center the tight petals gradually open into a perfect bloom that is 4 inches across and made of 28 full-sized petals and another 12 smaller central petaloids. Each is rich velvety red on the upper side, and bold mustard yellow on the underside, creating a gorgeous bi-color bloom. Once the bloom is over the petals fall cleanly to the ground, and so hips are almost never formed, the old stems simply disappear among the continuously-expanding foliage and new branches.

Using the Mustard & Ketchup Rose Tree in Your Garden

Grow this beautiful rose as a specimen in a bed, alone or in a group of 3 or more bushes, planted 2 feet apart. Its endless blooming will give terrific garden color, and a continuous supply of flowers for cutting. Plant it by a gate or entrance, or along a path, to enjoy its beauty close up.

Hardiness

The Mustard & Ketchup Rose can be grown (with normal winter protection) in zone 4, and in all other zones, including zone 10, where it will bloom almost all year round, and be semi-evergreen.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Always grow the Mustard & Ketchup Rose in full sun, as shade reduces flower production. Plant it in rich, moist, but well-drained soil, including the heavier clay soils that roses love. Add plenty of nutritious organic materials to the soil when planting, and use as mulch in late fall or spring. Water regularly, as although the bush is resistant to dry periods, drought reduces blooming.

Maintenance and Pruning

Feed your Mustard & Ketchup Roses with any rose fertilizer, as directed. It is resistant to rose diseases, especially powdery mildew and rust, so it stays clean and beautiful through the hottest and most humid weather. Its vigor makes it naturally resistant to serious pests, and any minor problems can be solved quickly with our Neem Oil Spray. Dead-heading isn’t essential, as hips are not made, but it will keep your bushes a little more tidy.

Prune once a year, in spring, preferably waiting until the buds are swelling. Remove all weak and damaged stems neatly, and cut back the remaining branches by half to two-thirds, to a strong outward-facing bud. After a few years you can remove some of the oldest branches closer to the ground, to encourage vigorous new growth.

History and Origin of the Mustard & Ketchup Rose Tree

“Ollie” Weeks was brought from Texas to California as a baby by his parents during the Great Depression, and when only 23 he started his own rose nursery in the San Joaquin Valley. Today Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, Inc. is one of the largest rose growers in America, producing about 4 million bushes a year. Every year they grow 200,000 hybrid seedlings, and after 8 to 10 years of work they become just 3 or 4 new varieties. The head breeder today is Christian Bédard, a French Canadian, and he created the variety marketed with the trademark name of Mustard & Ketchup. Officially known as `Wekzazette`, he created it by taking pollen from a yellow rose called SHOCKWAVE™ (`WEKgojolo`) and pollinating a red rose called CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO™ (`WEKsanpoly`). Both of these bushes were the creations of Tom Carruth, the previous head breeder at Weeks. It was patented in 2013.

Buying the Mustard & Ketchup Rose Tree at the Tree Center

For the classic beauty of the tea rose, the Mustard & Ketchup Rose is the perfect choice. For continuous profusion of blooms, disease-resistance and vigor, guess what, the Mustard & Ketchup Rose is also the perfect choice. Win both ways, and enjoy the great beauty of a rose they way there were supposed to be. It’s the perfect bush for an older gardener who loves things the old way, or for a new gardener who simply wants to grow the best, but without a lot of trouble. Whichever you are, order right away, as this kind of beauty leaves our farm all too soon.