When To Plant Roses – Brief Guide To A Fabulous Garden
A garden is not complete without roses, flowers that embody refinement and give passion the best definition possible. Of the hundreds of rose species you can pick some to plant in your garden for a genuine chromatic and olfactory feast. Do not ignore the potential of the climbing roses to give the outdoor spaces a complete décor. But before you get to enjoy this colorful show, let’s see first when to plant roses, along some other helpful information.
We are talking about bare-root roses here and not containerized roses which have a different planting regime. Plant in late autumn at leaf fall, and from late winter to early spring, before growth resumes. Avoid planting in the middle of winter when the ground is frozen. In other words, roses need to be in the ground at least 10 weeks before your first frost in the fall or planted just after your last frost in the spring.
Plant roses where they will receive a minimum of 5 to 6 hours of full sun per day. Roses grown in weak sun may not die at once, but they weaken gradually. Give them plenty of organic matter when planting and don’t crowd them. For instance, plant climbing roses about 2-2.5 meters apart since they have an expansive development. In the area where the rose or roses are to be planted, mix in at least one bucket of well-rotted organic matter per square meter, forking it into the top 20-30 cm of soil. Farmyard manure is ideal for this.
Before planting, make sure you keep the bare-root roses in water for 1-2 hours. Holes should measure 40X40X40. Plant roots tend to stay inside the holes that they are planted in. By digging a big hole, the roots have room to spread. The more area the roots cover, the better the rose can absorb water and nutrients providing the desired top growth.
Discard the soil from the bottom of the hole, as it is normally not as fertile as the top. Add 1 cup of bone meal to the mixture, and then place well-rotted cow or horse manure in the bottom 12 cm of the hole. It will provide food for the rose when the roots reach it after the first growing season. Manure and some compost can be hot, so putting it only in the bottom of the hole will prevent burning the fine feeder roots. Fill the hole with enough soil mixture so the soil will sit 2.5 cm lower than the level of the surrounding area. Make sure to cover the roots thoroughly so no spaces are left among the roots which could favor development of parasites.
Water newly planted roses 2 to 3 times per week until established. Afterwards, give them a deep watering once a week or, if extremely warm, twice a week. Prune the dry and old plant material. Blossoms should appear in June.
Sources: Rhs.org.uk, Almanac.com, Heirloomroses.com
