Rose Planting Guide: Bare-Root and Container Roses

Growing beautiful roses starts with proper planting. You'd never guess that such lovely flowers could spring from anything as homely as a bare-root rose. This awkward assemblage of stubby, thorny canes and wiry roots is poised for quick growth, making bare-roots the first choice of experienced gardeners. Look for dormant plants, roots swaddled in plastic, in garden centers or nursery catalogs. Bare-root roses settle in with minimal transplant shock and swiftly move on to producing flowers.

Soak, clip, and trim your stems before planting.

1. On planting day, refresh the roots in a bucket of water while you dig the planting hole. An hour-long soaking plumps up shriveled roots.

2. Clip off damaged roots (cracked or broken). Shorten roots that are too long to fit in the hole without bending.

3. Some rose sellers trim the stems (canes) for you. More likely, you'll need to prune them yourself. Remove broken ends, canes with blackened or diseased spots, and twiggy growth. Leave three to five sturdy canes in an open-centered arrangement. Cut back extra-long canes so all are about the same length. Don't worry about pruning mistakes; it's hard to go wrong.

4. Timing is crucial for bare-root planting: In most areas, plant in early spring before leaves unfurl; where temperatures rarely dip below 20°F, winter planting is best. If you can't plant immediately, keep roots moist and cool. Container-grown or "potted" roses can be planted any time they're available, extending the planting season.

Download our helpful chart on roses for every purpose. (Requires Adobe Acrobat.)

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