Planting rose bushes for the first time?

Question

I would like to plant some rose bushes. I have never done this before. When should I plant them and do you have any good pointers that will help me. Thanks so much for any help!!

Answer 1

The "knot" mentioned above is a graft. Usually, fussy roses are grafted onto hardy root stock. If the fussy rose dies, the root stock lives on. I have climbing roses that were the root stock of a rose planted decades ago by a previous homeowner.

Anyway, when you plant your rose, use lots of 2-inch pebbles. It will help with drainage. i have also found that areas where there are lots of ants will grow roses well because ants aerate the soil. Throw a rotten banana into the planting hole, and side-dress with one rotten banana per rosebush once a year after that.

Make sure you keep the garden "floor" around the bush very clean. Roses don't like clutter and leaves on the ground, and they don't compete well with other plants too close.

Answer 2

Roses are tricky and require a lot of attention. Follow the directions given with the plant but the most important thing is to not plant the bush too deep. There should be a sort of knot at the bottom of the plant before the root ball begins. This knot should be kept above ground. Roses planted too deeply is what kills most new plants. You will probably need to spray for black spot and fungus every 2-4 weeks depending on the humidity in your area. Good Luck!!

Answer 3

The best advice is the one no one around here ever gives. Take a sample of your soil to be tested. Roses are very funny about acidity and nutrients. You can do all the right things on everything else, but if you've put them in a soil they don't like, you'll have many, many problems. Also, roses love pot ash. If you have a fireplace, work the ashes into the ground before you plant roses and they'll be much happier. If you don't have a fireplace, you can pick up soil amenders with pot ash that will make the soil more appropriate for your roses.

The best bloomers will be in the best soil. If you don't get blooms, it's because your roses are too busy making everything else work and don't have the energy to make blooms.