Planting and Caring for Roses: A Complete Guide

Best time to buy roses: late winter as dormant bare-root, or during first spring bloom flush as flowering container plants (shop early for widest selection).

Roses love well-amended soil. If planting bare-root in winter, prep area and amend soil in fall—less work at planting time when weather is cold/unpredictable.

Modern roses bloom repeatedly, needing regular water and consistent fertilizing during growing season. Generally, rose needs constantly moist (not soggy) soil to full root depth. Up to 5 gal/rose in sand, ~8 gal in loam, up to 13 gal in clay. Water again when top few inches dry—usually within a week for sand, 10 days for loam, up to 2 weeks for clay. Mulch to retain moisture.

Roses are heavy feeders. Many work controlled-release complete fertilizer into top few inches at season start (before mulch). If not using controlled-release, feed repeat-flowering roses every 6 weeks (dry granular) or monthly (liquid). Stop fertilizing ~6 weeks before first frost, or September in mild-winter climates.

With repeat-flowering types, deadhead spent blooms regularly, cutting back several inches to a 5-leaflet leaf. If rose has attractive hips, stop deadheading in September—enjoy colorful hips in autumn, signal plant to slow for dormancy. No need to deadhead once-a-year bloomers.