How to Plant Bare-Root Roses
Bare-root roses don't look very promising - they're all dormant stem and brown roots and look dead - but they're the ideal way to get your roses off to a great start since there's no chance of transplant shock. Plant in early spring in any part of the country or autumn, in USDA Zones 6 and warmer.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Bare Root Roses
- Compost Makers
- Garden Hoses
- Garden Spades
- Mulch
- Watering Cans
- Buckets
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-
1
Soak the bare-root roses in water for 1 to 6 hours. A five-gallon bucket works well for just a few roses, while a garbage can is a handy container if planting several roses.
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2
Choose the right site in your garden or yard. Roses like full sun (at least 6 hours of direct light a day).
-
3
Prepare a planting hole two feet deep. Work in several spadesful of compost to improve soil fertility and texture.
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4
Backfill the hole slightly to form a mound down in the hole. Spread the rose roots over the mound as evenly as possible.
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5
Locate the graft union, the knobby part of the rose where the roots meet the stem.
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6
Position the graft union 1-2 inches below soil level in USDA Zones 5 and colder. In Zones 6 and warmer, position the graft union just above soil level.
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7
Fill in remaining soil.
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8
Prune if necessary. Most bare-root roses these days are sold "pre-pruned" so you don't have to do any pruning at the time of planting. However, if your bare-root rose has more than a few canes, or any of the canes are damaged or rubbing against each other, prune them so that you have just 3 to 6 strong canes (rose stems) that curve outward.
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9
Mound the soil over the base of the rose to prevent drying out. Water gently but well.
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10
Remove the soil in a few weeks once the rose begins to send out new growth by gently pushing away the soil with your hand.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Get your roses off to a great start by working a slow-release granular fertilizer into the planting hole. Most such fertilizers take care of all your roses nutrient needs for an entire growing season.
Avoid soaking a bare-root rose for more than a few hours or it will become damaged.
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Comments
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opalpearl3
Feb 10, 2009
Good article. Thanks for the tips. 5* -
opalpearl3
Feb 10, 2009
Good article. Thanks for the tips. 5*
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vrayrog
Jan 20, 2009
when do you transplant roses 4 feet tall and how deep do i dig to get them out
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vrayrog
Jan 20, 2009
when do you transplant roses 4 feet tall and how deep do i dig to get them out
