All rosarians love this season! There are always fresh roses to cherish and add to our collection, no matter how many we have in our gardens.
Potted Plants Vs. Bare Root Plants
For over 40 years, I have grown and bought roses in pots, boxes, plastic sleeves, and bare root. Anyone who buys roses knows they're pricey.
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Since rose gardens are expensive, building one takes time. Buying bare root roses is the cheapest way for me.
What Do I Do With These Sticks Covered In Prickles
Here's what to expect when you buy bare root roses for the first time. The box will be lined with plastic and the roses wrapped with moist material when you open it.
Many sites employ wet newspaper and other moist materials. Top of your new rose shrub will have bright green canes with prickles and swelling buds where the leaf petioles were last year.
Choices On Planting Day
After watering, you have two planting options for your fresh roses. I put new roses in containers for six weeks. Why does this sometimes make the plant happier in the first year?
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Because April soil is cool. Planting a bare root rose immediately in this cold soil can inhibit development until the spring sun warms it.
Planting Roses in Containers
Use three-gallon nursery pots for container planting. Cut the roots to suit the container and fill it with good potting soil.
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Water everyday and gradually expose the potted rose to light over several days. The container's soil will warm in the sun and grow roots quickly! To get an outward-facing, swelling bloom, prune rose canes.
You can also plant directly in the ground. Remove broken roots and prune canes as above. Choose your garden's sunniest place.
Planting Roses in the Ground
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If your area experiences very cold winters, dig a deep trench to bury the crown, or bud union, 4-5” below soil level. This will winterproof your fresh rose.