A few steps to success with roses
by Corinne Brown

Few gardeners are blessed with good garden loam, which is why it is best to prepare rose beds well in advance of planting so that large amounts of organic amendments can be incorporated into what we already have.  Garden soil is vastly improved with the addition of Compost, peat moss, well aged manure, leaf mold or mushroom compost; all of which can be used in fairly large quantities.  A good garden soil structure will make the world of difference on how well roses will grow.

Choosing a proper site for your roses is the next step to success.  Although roses will grow almost anywhere, they perform much better in some locations than others whether planted in beds or as individual bushes.  As the song says, "roses love sunshine" and to do their best, roses should receive a minimum of 4-5 hours of direct sun on a sunny day.  Early morning sun is recommended for good reason - the earlier the sun, the sooner the dew will evaporate and thwart the ever present fungus spores.  They are not good shade plants, but if you must plant in partial shade, choosing roses with single or semi double blooms would be better than many petal  varieties

A well drained location is a must for roses.  While they require a great deal of water, a wet, water logged soil will not only retard their growth, but will eventually kill the plant.  Where drainage is a problem, the best solution is raised beds.  The raised beds can stand alone - for example - a mound, or it can be framed with material such as wood, stone, brick and concrete.  Sometimes, it may even be necessary to install some sort of drainage system in the garden.

It's astonishing how quickly large shrub and tree root find our rose beds in search of the goodies we supply our roses, so be sure to locate your beds as far as possible from their invading roots. 
 

Preparation of planting site

There is no single procedure to use in the preparation of rose beds because soil conditions vary considerably within a short distance.  However, since roses have deep anchor roots, the soil should be prepared to a depth of at least 20 inches and preferably 24 inches.  When it is impossible to dig down this deep, dig as deep as you can, then raise the bed by the required amount.  Roses grow extremely well in raised beds, so you may wish to aim for at least a slightly raised bed.

If your garden consists of rocks and sand, you will have to dig out the bed and fill it almost completely with amended soil from elsewhere.  It is possible to purchase a good "lawn & garden" mix to fill garden beds, but it is necessary to shop around  and make sure what you're getting is satisfactory to grow plants.
 ( keep in mind that roses do best in a soil pH of between 6-7 ).  Once your rose beds are complete, you'll want to be sure you have all the necessary material set aside for planting time.  Since organic matter is extremely important for the best plant growth, you will want to set aside moist peat moss mixed with good garden soil as a planting mixture where it will be readily available when you are ready to plant.  A good planting mix would be two thirds garden loam and one third peat moss by volume.  Lacking good garden loam, mushroom compost or your own garden compost would do as well.  Super phosphate or bone meal will be required as this is the only fertilizer used in the planting hole other than alfalfa meal or pellets which many rose growers have used in the last few years.  Alfalfa contains a hormone which is beneficial to good growth.

Once you have all the necessary items and your trusty shovel, you are ready to plant your roses.  Happy rose planting!  

Planting Bare Root Roses

Before undertaking the task of planting your new bare root roses, soak them in a bucket of water while you prepare the planting holes.  It is very important that the roots don't dry out, so remove them from the water and plant immediately.  Roses can be soaked in water overnight, but it's not advisable to leave them immersed in water for more than 24 hours.

The first step in planting is to inspect the rose bush carefully and cut off any broken canes or roots cleanly.  The canes should be pruned to 4-6 inches from the bud union on hybrid teas and floribundas,  and 8-12 inches for climbers.  The cut is made approximately  one quarter inch above an outward facing bud eye sloping away from it, but not lower than the bud itself.  Use a clean sharp pair of hand pruners; scissor or bypass are best, rather than anvil types.

Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots so they can be spread out in a natural position without bending.  This means a hole at least 18 inches wide and deep, or deep enough for the bud union (knob) of the rose to be one inch below soil level.  The soil used to fill around the roots should be amended with moist peat moss, garden compost or mushroom compost which helps to improve aeration, hold moisture and stimulate new root growth.

Once the planting hole has been prepared, a generous handful of bone meal or super phosphate should be mixed into the bottom.  If you wish, a small handful of each can be used.  Super phosphate will go to work quicker while the bone meal will last a long time.  A couple of handfuls of alfalfa pellets or meal can be mixed into the planting hole.  No other commercial fertilizer should be used at this time.

When rose roots radiate in a circle, you can form a mound then spread out the roots on the mound.  However, most bare root roses do not have roots that radiate in a circle but will be on one side. To adjust the plant to the proper position it can be helpful to lay a board, stick or rake handle over the hole and hold the bud union in place against it as you fill in the hole.  Work the amended soil between the roots with your hands to fill any air pockets.  When the hole is about two thirds full, firm the soil with your hands starting at the outside edge of the hole, working towards the center.  Fill in the rest of the space with water so the soil is brought into close contact with the roots.  When the water  has drained away, fill in the hole with soil firming well and water once again.

When the bare root rose has all its roots pointing in one direction, place at one side of the planting hole and then spread the roots out as widely as you can.  It may be necessary to adjust the size of the planting hole to accommodate the shape of the roots.  When planting a climber against a wall where the soil is often very dry, dig a hole approximately 18 inches away from the wall and direct the roots away from the base of the wall.

Newly planted bare root roses need to be protected from drying out.  The method used for this is to mound soil up over the canes so that they are almost completely covered.  The soil around the rose should be moist.  When there is a prolonged dry spell, it will be necessary to water your plants.  The soil mound should remain on the plant until new shoots start to appear. ( When fall planting, leave the mound on the plants until spring  when new shoots begin to grow.) Be very cautious when removing the mound so that you don't break any of the new shoots from the canes or basil growth from the crown of the plants.   Have fun!

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