How to Plant Roses

Planting roses correctly means you will have fewer problems down the road. Much of the fussiness associated with roses is due to improper care. Find out how to plant a rose that will bloom beautifully.

Here's How:

1.        First, find an area that receives full sun. 

2.        If you have a bare root specimen, soak it in a bucket of water before planting. For roses that are potted, you can water the pot thoroughly and let it sit until ready to plant. Then, when you remove the pot from the plant itself, you will have a moist ball of soil to ease stress on the roots.

3.        Dig a hole about six inches deeper than you will be planting the rose. You will need to add bone meal and compost to the hole before planting and want the crown (or area where the plant first starts growing above the ground) to be just at ground level when finished. Your hole should be twice the width of the pot as well. This ensures plenty of rich, soft soil to encourage vigorous root growth. 

4.        Add about three inches of soil, bone meal and compost to the bottom of the hole before placing the rose in the center of the hole. Be sure you chose the nicest side facing outwards if planting against an object like a house or trellis. Fill in the rest of the hole around the rose bush. You may need to hold the plant with one (gloved) hand to steady it as you fill it in completely. 

5.        Once you have filled in around the rose, tamp the soil down very firmly to remove pockets of air you may have missed. 

6.        Water with a slow steady stream to ensure deep penetration of moisture into the soil. You may want to tamp down the soil one more time after watering to see if it has settled in well. 

7.        You want to keep your rose's roots moist and cool but the leaves as dry as possible. Do this with mulch around the bottom of the bush once you have watered properly. 

Tips:

1.        Place at least three inches deep of mulch around the bush to allow the watering to remain on the roots and not evaporate.

2.        A soaker hose system is perfect for roses. It will slowly water while keeping the upper part of the bush nice and dry.

3.        Do not use a systemic chemical if you are planning in ingesting any part of the rose bush. 

4.        To avoid blight and black spot, keeping your foliage dry and avoiding splashing water up while you apply it to the roots is crucial.

5.        Remove all cuttings and dead foliage from the area to discourage disease.