Planting Your Rose

Bare root

Bare root roses should be planted between November and March. They are safe to keep inside their unopened cellophane wrapping for up to three weeks in an area with a cool draft and out of the way from being caught by frosty weather conditions. If severe or cold weather will not allow you to plant your roses into their final position you can dig a temporary spot in your garden or alternatively you can heal them in.

Please note that you should never allow roots to dry out, this can cause serious damage to the rose and can also cause the rose to die.

Any remaining leaves on your plant will turn brown and will eventually fall off leaving the dormant breaks on the rose. The rose will then start to grow new shoots during the Spring months.

If you have ordered multiple roses they are usually combined in the same shrink wrap, so please check all your roses have been received.

Container Roses

Potted roses can planted throughout the year as long as it is fully rooted. When you receive your roses they should be immediately removed from the cardboard box or sleeve it has been received in, along with any plastic wrapping which surrounds the pot. Water your rose thoroughly and leave to soak up moisture.

If your rose is a new season variety, please check that the rose is fully rooted before planting. Roses do not like to have their roots disturbed during their growing period. Wait until rose is in full leaf (approx late May/early June) before planting, to check carefully hold the rose upside down and pull the pot off slowly and gently, if the compost holds together and you are able to see roots on the outside of the compost the rose is safe to plant.

Again, do not let the rose dry out, also protect from severe winter weather whilst in the pot by moving to a greenhouse, shed or garage during long periods of bad weather.

Our container roses will be safe to stay in the pots they arrive in until the first autumn, as with our specially formulated rose compost it will have all the nutrients it will require.

Preparation for Planting Roses & Staking Standards

Roses will perform well in almost all soils, but prefer a neutral soil, or a slight acidity or alkalinity to the soil is also preferred. Place a handful of Lime when planting to help neutralise clay and acidic soils. Preparation of the soil and taking the time to ensure this will bring long term benefits to the rose, including good health, strong growth and regular bloom.

• Make sure the area you will be planting in has good soil with good drainage, is relatively sheltered from wind, but gets at least half a days summer sun to encourage new flowers (with the exception of some varieties which tolerate shade)
• When digging your hole make sure that it will be large enough to be able to cope with all the roots and compost from your potted roses (depth around 35cm), loosen the bottom of the hole with a garden fork, with some manure (must be well rotted) or garden compost with a hand of rose fertiliser mixed in with the soil or organic matter. This will give your rose a good boost and allow the rose to get lots of nutrients as the roots begin to spread and the plant will begin to grow. Water the hole and allow to drain before planting.
• If you have rootgrow, which is available from the Fragrant Rose Company, this will allow the rose to establish its roots quickly. It is great for gardens with dry, sandy soils and will stop rose replant sickness (roses suffer if planted in the same place as one was previously). Put another 75 cm of unfertilised soil into the hole and spread 25g of rootgrow into the bottom of the hole, and also over wet roots of bare-root plants to make sure your roses roots are in contact with the granules of RootGrow.
• Soak bare root roses overnight in a bucket of water before planting. Then spread the roots of the across the hole which you have dug. Fill the hole half way with compost and firm down with your hands or the heal of your shoes. Continue to fill in the hole to the top and compress the soil down again. Make sure the union (where all the breaks meet at the bottom of the plant) is above ground.

Despite the majority of gardening books, magazines and television gardener’s advise, we strongly disagree with the placing of the union below the soil. During wet weather conditions especially it encourages the crown of the rose to rot and can cause an un-necessary and premature death. In addition to this it also encourages suckers and wild growth to appear more frequently and also prevents pruning to be carried out effectively. The rose will also start to form its own roots above the rootstock of the plant. The root stock provides the plant with vigour, the new formed roots by the rose will cause less vigorous growth and less impressive performance. The only benefit this could bring is to secure the rose during the winter months and prevent from movement caused by winter wind. However by pruning correctly at the right time and by tying in climbing and rambling roses, this should not be necessary.

• Water in your new rose once planted with at least five litres of water, make sure that the soil from your roses is always kept moist during very hot periods and especially during it’s first summer to help your plant become established.

Planting Roses Into Containers, Tubs and Barrels

It is recommended that when planting a rose into a container rather than the garden that you use a frost proof pot or container which is heavy, to prevent the rose blowing over. This is especially important in standard roses/tree roses to counter balance the weight of the head. Pots and containers should have holes at the bottom to prevent the soil becoming soaked and the roses sitting in water. The minimum size your should look to put your roses in should be a 15 litre pot for bush roses, however the bigger the rose will become, the more root space it will need to flourish, so increase the size up to a half barrel for climbing roses, David Austin Roses, ramblers and weeping standard roses.

Make sure the compost you use is recommended for roses, picking a compost which is loam based such as John Innes number three. This should be easy to find in all good garden centres. Roses do not like to be planted in normal multi purpose as it is too free draining. Make sure that you do not let your rose dry out and keep your roses watered daily during hot periods in the summer. When watering avoid watering the leaves of the plant to keep your rose looking healthy.

MINIMUM PLANTING DISTANCES BETWEEN ROSES