POTTED ROSES

Your rose has been sent to you in a temporary pot. To grow a good quality plant, you could either transplant it into a bigger pot or plant it into the ground. 

Brian Wagner shows how to do that here.

Repotting Roses 

• The bigger the pot, the better.
• Take care not to disturb the root system when transplanting the rose.
• Use premium potting mixture. (NOTE: Take care not to let the potting mix dry out! Potting mix will repel water, once it has dried out.)
• Place the pot in a sunny position. Roses like at least 6 hours of sun a day.
• To prevent roses becoming root bound, repot every 3 or 4 years (only during winter). Trim back the root system by half and place in new potting mix in same/different pot.

Planting Your Rose In The Ground

• Prepare your rose bed. The bed should be in a sunny position, free from competition from shrubs and trees. Enrich the soil with fertilizer and compost. Clay soil will need gypsum.
• Dig a hole, approximately 30cm x 30cm x 30cm. You could place a handful of organic fertilizer at the bottom of the hole. Make sure you have a buffer of soil between the roots and fertiliser to prevent root burn.
• Carefully slide pot away from plant, without disturbing the root system, and place in hole. Bud union (where the roses are budded) should be around 3cm above ground level.
• Backfill with soil until the hole is half full. Add a bucket of water. Fill the rest of the hole with soil when the water has drained away and water again.

BAREROOT ROSES

The rose could be kept in the box for up to three weeks before planting. Ensure that the roots are kept moist (e.g. by covering it with moist newspaper).

Planting Your Rose 

• Put the bare root rose in a bucket of water for 24 hours before planting.
• Prepare your rose bed. The bed should be in a sunny position, free from competition from shrubs and trees. Enrich the soil with fertilizer and compost. Clay soil will need gypsum.
• Dig a hole, approximately 30cm x 30cm x 30cm. You could place a handful of organic fertilizer at the bottom of the hole. Make sure you have a buffer of soil between the roots and fertiliser to prevent root burn.
• Bud union (where the roses are budded) should be around 3cm above ground level.
• Backfill with soil until the hole is half full. Add a bucket of water. Fill the rest of the hole with soil when the water has drained away and water again.

SPACING OF ROSES

• Bush roses – 1.2m to 1.5m
• Patio and groundcovers -  1m
• Miniatures – 0.5m
• Climbers – 3m to 5m, depending on the site

CARING FOR ROSES

• Water regularly.
• Apply small amounts of fertiliser often.
• For better results, use a range of different fertilisers throughout the year.
• Mulch. 
• Regularly remove dead flowers.
• Prune once in the winter.
• Use preventive fungicides and pesticide as required.

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