How to Plant a Bare-Root Rose

Roses are sold in one of two ways- in containers or as bare-root roses. Bare-root roses can be planted in early spring an month or two before your region's last frost date and tend to be less expensive. They are often sold in cardboard cartons or plastic bags. Look for bare-root roses with firm sound-looking stems and no shriveling.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• shovel
• hand pruners

1. Prepare the soil by digging a hole about a foot deeper and wider than the roots of the plant. Work in several spadefuls of compost to enrich the soil, improve drainage, and feed the roses. Plant to the right depth for your climate. If desired, also work in slow-release granular fertilizer, following the package directions.
2. Prune the rose unless it has been prepruned by the seller. Cut off any damaged branches and roots and thin it to three to six healthy branches at least as thick as a pencil.
3. Soak the roots in a bucket for about twelve hours. this helps hydrate the rose and keep it from drying out once you've planted it in the ground.
4. Position the rose in the hole so the graft union is about one inch above the soil or at soil level. Spread out the roots. Fill the hole with soil, and mound it in a small moat around the rose so water will collect at its base.
5. Water well, allowing the water to soak in; repeat two or three times. After watering, mound soil about six inches over the base of the plant to prevent the graft union from drying out. Push aside the soil after 2 to 3 weeks or gently wash it away.
6. Keep the rose well watered, making sure the soil is neither too dry nor soggy. In a week or two, the rose should start sending out new growth, a sign that it's taking off.

Tips & Warnings

• After the rose starts sending out new growth, it's a good time to add slow release rose fertilizer.
• It's also a good idea to mulch around the base of the rose, one to three inches deep, to suppress weeds, prevent disease, and conserve moisture.