grow almost anywhere, they perform much better in some locations than in others.
They can be planted in beds or as individual bushes. To do their best, roses should have access to a lot of direct
sunlight, at least 6 hours per day to manufacture all that sugar and protein they require to produce those sturdy canes and
beautiful flowers.
Roses also need a location that is well drained. While they require a great deal of water, a wet, water-logged soil will
retard their growth, if not outright kill them. Digging deep planting holes usually provides adequate drainage. Sometimes
installing raised beds helps in low-lying areas. Sometimes it may be necessary for the very serious Rosarians to install
some sort of tile drainage system in the yard, which, if the drainage is that bad, probably should have been done long ago
anyway. But for the most part, a well-prepared hole, deeply dug, will provide an adequately drained environment for the
roots.
It is important that bare root roses be moist and not be allowed to dry out. Therefore, as soon as a shipment of bare root
roses is received from the nursery the package should be opened and the bushes soaked in water for several hours prior to
planting. The plants are dormant, they are not actively growing and, as a result, do not have to be handled as carefully as
an actively growing bush. In a way they are naturally anesthetized (maybe to say that they are hibernating would be a
better analogy). So the soaking will not harm them. On the contrary, it will assure that they are well hydrated for
planting.
For bare root or potted roses, planting starts out the same. Locate a spot that receives a reasonable amount of daily
sunshine and has good drainage. It is very convenient to have prepared the soil and dug the holes sometime during the
previous fall. It makes spring planting much easier, but it is not absolutely necessary.
Dig a hole about 18 inches in diameter and at least 20 inches deep. The depth is to assure loose soil below the root
growth area for good drainage. The chances are the soil from the bottom of the hole will be heavy clay. Rose roots thrive
and do their best in a light and airy clay that has been modified by the addition of a lot organic matter, such as peat moss,
cow manure or compost. Toss away the clay stuff that came from the bottom third of the remainder with a comparable
volume of any of these organics. If the soil is almost all a very heavy clay, add five or six handfuls of gypsum. Gypsum
mixed in a clay soil helps break it up, keep it porous, and lets the organics do their job.
To plant a bare root rose, the roots should be trimmed. With pruning shears remove any broken roots and trim the roots
to a length that will conveniently, with ample room on all sides, fit into the hole. Roots 8 to 10 inches long are sufficient.
Do not try to stuff 2 feet of roots into the hole by scrapping them in a spiral. Properly pruned roots will soon sprout
plenty of new rootlets as the bush becomes established.
Start refilling the hole with the soil mixture. Hold the rose bush in the hole so that the bud union (the swelling from
which the canes project upward and from which the roots grow downward) is at or just an inch or two above the ground
level.
Continue to fill the hole with the soil mixture in and around the roots. At this point it is a good idea to toss a handful of
super phosphate fertilizer or bone meal into the hole and mix it with the soil that will immediately surround the roots. This
is the only semblance of fertilizer that need be added during the planting process. Any other fertilization should wait until
the bushes are established as evidenced by sprouting leaves and new canes. The shot of phosphorus given at planting time
stimulates root growth, a newly planted rosebush's most immediate task, plus phosphorus moves slowly through the soil.
Continue to add soil mixture, keeping the bud union at a level consistent with the hardiness zone in which you live.
Sometimes it may be at ground level, well above ground in warmer climates, or well below the surface in colder climates.
Use the fingers of your gloved hands to poke the soil in and around the roots. When the hole is about 7/8 filled, water it
well with a couple gallons of water. This will not only moisten the roots but will help seat the soil particles around them.
The water will no doubt cause the soil in the hole to settle a bit after it has drained away. When the water is gone,
complete the hole-filling job with the rest of the soil. Do not compress the soil be stomping on the fill dirt.
Because of all of the organic mater that was added there should be enough left over to mound up over the canes to a
height of at least 6 inches. The soil mound, which should be gradually removed after two to three weeks, will protect the
newly planted bush while it begins to establish a new root system and will do the all-important task of keeping the bush
from drying out.
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