How to Plant Bare Root Roses

Planting & Caring for Your Rose Garden

Roses are a great addition to anyone’s life, home or yard. They add color and beauty and they smell great, but over the years, roses have acquired a reputation as being one of the most fragile and time-consuming flowers you can attempt to grow on your own.

Now you can discover the amazing secrets to growing beautiful roses anytime, anywhere – No matter what your experience level... Planting & Caring for Your Rose Garden reveals tips, tricks and techniques you can use to consistently grow gorgeous, healthy roses with ease!

Click here for more information

When you purchase mail order roses, they will have been kept in cold storage and will be delivered to you with their roots bare, hence the name bare root roses. To successfully plant bare root roses and to ensure their healthy growth you need to follow these instructions:

1) Once your bare root roses have arrived you will need to rehydrate the roots, you do this by soaking them in a bucket of water at least overnight, and preferably for twenty four hours. You can add a small amount of rooting activator to the water. If you do add rooting activator to the water, keep the water as you can use it to water your rose plant once you have planted it.

2) Dig a hole for your rose plant which is at least one and a half times as deep and wide as the root system is long. Add some compost to the soil you have removed and then return a small quantity back into the hole and form it into a conical mound.

3) Place the rose plant on top of the mound and spread the roots so they stretch out and down the side of the conical mound of soil. The height of the mound is critical as it determines where the grafting nodule (the swelling at the base of the rose stem) will be positioned in relation to the final soil level. In the warmer southern climates, the nodule should be positioned at or slightly above the soil level. In the colder northern climates, the grafting nodule should be positioned a couple of inches below the final soil level as this will prevent it from freezing in cold winters.

4) Return enough of your prepared soil to just cover the roots of the rose plant and water the soil (using the water containing the rooting mix you soaked the plant roots in overnight). Watering the plant with just enough water to cover the roots helps the soil to settle properly.

5) Fill in the hole completely with your prepared soil and form a small mound to cover the base of the rose plant and water thoroughly. Once the new buds begin to swell, flatten the mound of soil to its normal level.

Following this simple guide to plant your dry root roses will ensure they have the best opportunity to grow into healthy rose plants.