A great way to get ahead of the growing season and save money is to plant bare-root roses during the dormant season. In autumn and winter, bare-root roses are available for purchase. They are less expensive than planting roses in pots, and there is a much wider selection of bare-rooted roses to choose from than with pot-grown plants. A bare-root rose, in contrast to potted plants, has no soil on its roots. When you plant them when they are dormant, they begin to grow quickly and strongly when temperatures rise again in the spring.
When to plant
The best time to plant bare-root roses is during the bare-root season, which runs from October to April. This gives them time to settle in so they can bloom in the summer. The only situations in which you should avoid planting are when the ground is frozen, saturated, or experiencing drought.
What tools are needed?
A spade, fork, large watering can, bucket, and well-rotted manure or Compost King – shrub, tree, and rose compost are all you need.
A step-by-step guide to planting bare root roses
Step 1: Rehydrate your rose
For bare-root roses, rehydrate your rose in a bucket of water for a minimum of 2 hours prior to planting. Before planting, this will guarantee that the roots are adequately hydrated.
Step 2: Prepare the soil
Using a garden fork, thoroughly dig through the soil to remove any weeds or large stones. This will guarantee that the new roots can freely explore their new surroundings.
Step 3: Dig the hole
Using a spade, dig a hole that is wide enough and deep enough to hold the stem and the rose’s roots. This should be approximately 16″ wide by 16″ deep (40x40cm).
Step 4: Break the soil at the hole’s base.
Using a fork, break up the soil at the base of the hole to allow the roots to go deeper into the soil. Mix a spadeful of well-rotted manure or Compost King shrub, tree & rose compost with the soil removed from the hole and mix it in with the remaining soil. This will add vital nutrients to the soil helping the rose to establish itself more effectively.
Step 5: Position the rose in the hole
When planting a bare-root shrub, place the rose in the middle of the hole. The bottoms of the stems should be 2″ (5 cm) below the top of the hole if you’re using a bamboo cane to help.
To plant a bare-root climber, place the rose in the middle of the hole with the stems pointing toward the wall or supporting structure and the roots away, at an angle of 45 degrees. To determine whether the planting depth is correct, place a bamboo cane horizontally across the top of the hole. The graft union, or swollen region between the stems and roots, ought to be just below the bamboo cane.
Step 6: Backfill the soil
Utilising the soil that was initially dug into the hole, backfill around the rose’s roots.
Step 7: Firm in
Make sure the rose is secure and that there are no air pockets in the soil by lightly firming the soil with your hands or hand trowel around it.
Step 8: Water
After planting, give the rose ample water. Find out how much water your rose needs by clicking this link.
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