How to Plant Roses

Thorns never harm the roses: On planting rose bushes

Planting roses successfully, is an art that every amateur landscaper or gardener can learn easily. Growing roses can be rewarding as a hobby, because when rose bushes blossom, they are gorgeous to behold and the blossoms on each rosebush are unique.

Roses are not difficult to grow, but there are things to be aware of, when you are planting roses. Remember that not all roses are the same and each one can have its own quirks or peculiarities.

Roses can grow in wilderness under rugged conditions, in many parts of the world as they are hardy. Of course, there are cultivated rose bushes that are more difficult to grow, but they will thrive if given the right conditions.

Consider the basics of how to plant roses. 

Rose bushes are started in three different ways. They can be grown from the seeds found in rose hips or they can be started, as grafts taken from one rose bush and grafted onto another.  The third way to grow them is to transplant a rosebush from the wild or from a garden center. 

This is the option discussed here.

Ideally, planting a rose bush in the same environment, in which it has been found originally, gives the rose bush its best chance at survival. A wild rose bush will survive under wilderness conditions, if it is transplanted some place where the conditions are essentially the same.

What about cultivated roses?

Consider these guidelines for the  rose that you purchase at a garden center, as this is the most likely place where you will obtain a rose bush. 

Find a rose bush that is known to be hardy in your area. This is important because some rose bushes will not survive the winter, where the temperature stays below zero, for too many months of the year, even if the plants are mulched.

The location in which you plant your rose bush is important. Find a place where there is sandy-loam soil with excellent drainage. Rose bushes do like excessive moisture and they will thrive, if there is proper drainage. They can be planted close to buildings and do well. Being planted close to a house or in a sheltered corner of a yard, gives them added protection from the elements.

Rosebushes love the sunlight, so find a place where there is full sun, during the day. If that is not possible, make certain that there is at least six hours of sunshine within a twenty four hour period, so that they will blossom.

When preparing a hole in which to plant the rose bush, make certain that it is at least a foot and a half deep. If you are planting more than one bush, do not plant them close together, as they will grow into large bushes, under the right conditions. Allow at least two to three feet between the bushes or more if the rose bush is large.

Rose bushes thrive in soil to which compost, peat moss and manure have been added, so prepare this mixture, ahead of time. Adding a handful of bone meal is a good idea. A fifty-fifty ratio of soil and organic matter should suffice, unless you have heavy clay soil that does not drain well. Increase the organic matter, in this case.

Now place part of the mixture into the area that you have dug and dig a hole in the center of it, for the rose bush.

When handling the rose bush, wear garden gloves. It is a good idea to use them, because many rose bushes have sharp thorns. It seems that the more beautiful the blossoms are, the sharper the thorns. (There are some rose bushes that do not have any thorns at all, which is the exception to the rule.) It is interesting to note that the thorns never harm the roses; they only protect them.

If you have blossoms on the rose bush that you have purchased, you may cut them off before planting.

Planting early in the spring is a good idea, because the blossoms will not have started to bud yet. But, if the rose bush has buds that are starting to come out or there are blossoms on the stems, unless they are going to be a problem for you, leave them intact. Handle them gently, so that they are not damaged.

Hold the rose bush carefully, by the base of the stem, when removing it from its container. If it is a peat moss container, you do not have to remove it, but it is a good idea to break it open in several places and to loosen the roots of the rose bush. Peat moss containers help to retain moisture, but the roots need room to expand. If there are roots that appear to be damaged or unhealthy, trim these off with gardens shears.

How deep the rose bush is planted depends upon the climate, to some extent. In a colder area, the roots need to be planted deeper than they do in a warmer climate. Ideally, the crown of the rose bush or the place where there is a graft, should be at soil level or several inches below it, for a cold area.

Plant the rosebush carefully, surrounding it with soil from its container and more of the mixture you have prepared. Make certain that the rose bush is well positioned, so that it does not have to be moved again. 

Stand back for a moment and take a look at it. Does it have enough room to grow properly? Have you planted it deep enough? Does it look good where it is planted?

At this point, watering the rose bush well will allow the moisture to soak into the root system thoroughly. Do not spray water on the leaves, flower buds, or flowers, as that may cause water damage.

Gradually fill up the hole in which the rose bush has been planted, making certain that the roots are well covered. If necessary, water the rose bush around the base and cover it thoroughly with mulch made from old leaves, sawdust or wood chips. If your area is cold in the winter, adding additional mulch later will help to protect it from the frost.

You may prune the top of your rose bush, at this time. Do not hesitate to trim off dead leaves, old rose hips or dead branches. If there are any branches that do not appear to be thriving, trim those back, carefully. That way you are starting with a healthy rose bush.

Rose bushes need to be watered, at the base, approximately once a week and fertilized, on a regular basis. 

Later on in the season, you can remove some of the older, dried shoots and enjoy watching new ones grow.

If you follow all of these guidelines, you will probably see your rose bush thrive and blossom.

Now you know how to plant roses. See, that was not so difficult after all!