HOW TO PLANT ROSES
The scoop on planting roses
Where to plant your rose?
First let's look at that sunny (more than 4 hours direct sun;
no skimping) spot in the yard. How's the water situation?
Roses like plenty of moisture, but hate boggy situations and
will express their distaste by simply dying! If the area is
really wet I'd recommend that you plant roses in a raised
bed, building a containment of rock, block or railroad ties
that give another two feet or so of planting depth above the
existing soil profile.
Just a little damp? Adding sand can help slightly moist soil
if it's just a little damp, but unless more than 30% of the
total soil volume is sand it will actually hold MORE water.
And sand decreases fertility so I feel raising the bed is
really the best way to go (unless you like the idea of native
roses like R. nitida or R. palustris, both wild swamp specialists
from the eastern half of the States and hard to find in the
trade).
What if the soil isn't wet but really dry? We can amend
the soil with peat, manure humus and compost (preferably all
of the above) and till it in to a good 12"depth OR we
can build the raised bed again and have total control of what
our soil is like! If it sounds like I like raised beds for
roses there is a good reason. One, I do and secondly (and
more importantly), roses are about as fussy as any plant out
there about soil conditions. If we start by tilling, sure
we have given them the fluffy, light soil they like but we've
also tilled up dormant weed seed (Crabgrass, for instance,
can lay dormant for 100 years!) and the last thing a rose
wants is root competition from a hungry feeder like grass.
Give raised beds a look.
Landscape roses
Groundcover roses like Flower Carpets
or the Pavement series offer beautiful solutions
for that tough hillside or narrow strip along the parking
area that were the traditional haunts of Blue Rug Juniper.
These and other landscape roses are just that; roses to be
used in the landscape, not bedded down delicately like some
of their sissy cousins. Certainly it improves the plant to
get some soil amendment but nothing more than you would do
for an azalea or spirea. These tough guys don't ask for any
special treatment and they are ready to take on hard areas
in your landscape so don't overlook these roses, especially
if you might miss a week or three of gardening on occasion…
How do I plant my rose?
This is a fairly simple process but we first need to know
what we're planting. Roses are sold a few different ways.
Bare-root roses (often called box roses) are found
in many garden centers and this is the usual way to get them
if you have them shipped in the mail. I maintain you must
plant bare-root in the spring and give them a season to find
their feet (Some feel you can plant them in fall if the early
winter is mild; why risk it?)
Container, or potted roses have better shelf life,
better root development and I might plant a container
rose in fall (especially if it was a landscape rose).
These are more expensive than bare-root, and the dramatic
debate rages on over the pro's and con's of each (it's usually
me and the guy on the corner with fifty roses).
Container roses are easier to plant; you just plant at the
soil level of the pot the same as any other flower or shrub.
Bare-root must be positioned carefully depending on your climate.
Warm winter areas should plant with the bud union (the swollen
joint between the root stock and the scion or grafted cane)
1" above soil level, moderate winter areas (Zone 7&8)
at soil level and hard areas should bury the bud union 2"
below the soil to ensure the survival of the scion. Some roses
today are being sold on their own root stock (species usually
are) so don't panic if you can't detect a bud union; there
may not be one. And remember, bare-root MUST be planted while
still dormant so watch your rose and the thermometer closely.
Ideal Rose planting time
Planting times vary all over the country but here's a quick
list.
- Northeast, and Eastern coast
March until June, October and November
- North Central
April to June, October and November
- South Central
December to February
- Southwest, and Pacific Coast
December and January
- Pacific Northwest
January to April
Read your rose tag to find out about eventual height and
width (if you haven't already) and space plants accordingly.
Remember to dig those holes twice as wide and half again as
deep as the plant you are planting and to water heavily after
planting to eliminate air pockets left from planting…
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