How to Plant a Bare Root Rose - Late Season Planting, by Learn To Grow on YouTube. 2 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Unpack the rose as soon as it arrives and check the roots. Snip off any broken or squashed ones with clean shears, then stand the roots in a bucket of water for 1 to 2 hours.
Choose a sunny spot that gets at least 6 hours of direct light a day and drains well. Clear the weeds and grass from a patch about twice the width of the root spread.
Dig a hole roughly 40cm wide and 30cm deep. Rough up the sides and base with the fork so the roots can push into the soil instead of hitting a smooth wall.
Mix a spadeful of compost into the soil you took out. Make a cone of it in the bottom of the hole and drape the roots evenly over the cone.
Set the plant so the graft union, the knobby join above the roots, sits about 5cm below the soil surface. Planting a little deep helps a late rose survive cold weather.
Backfill in stages, firming the soil gently around the roots with your hands as you go. Fill until the hole is level with the surrounding ground.
Water slowly until the soil is soaked and any air pockets collapse. Top up with soil if the level drops.
Cut the canes back to about 15 to 20cm above the graft to balance the roots you lost. Make each cut just above an outward facing bud.
Spread a 5 to 8cm layer of mulch around the rose, leaving a small gap clear around the stems. Water deeply once a week while it settles in.
Tips and common mistakes
Never let the roots dry out between unpotting and planting. Keep them wrapped or in the bucket until the hole is ready.
Skip fertiliser at planting time. Feed only once you see new growth pushing out.
Avoid a bed where roses have grown before, as old rose soil can stunt a new plant.
Plant on a mild, dry day rather than in frozen or waterlogged ground.
Questions
Is it too late to plant a bare root rose?
Bare roots can go in whenever the ground is workable and not frozen. Late plantings need extra water and a deeper set at the graft to get through the first season.
How long do I soak a bare root rose before planting?
One to two hours is plenty. A longer soak in standing water can soften and rot the roots.
Will it flower in the first year?
Probably not much. Expect the plant to spend its first season building roots and canes, with fuller flowering the following year.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
