Your bareroot roses have arrived, now what do I do?
- Submerge the entire bush in a large container of water for at least 1 day
- Dig a hole in your garden about 24” wide and 18” deep. Then check the hole for drainage by filling with water. It should drain about 1” per hour. If drainage is poor, you may add gravel to the hole to promote drainage. Roses do not like “wet feet”.
- Prepare the soil by adding a good outdoor potting soil to the native soil at a rate of about 50% each. I use a compressed potting soil containing mycorrhiza. This helps build a better root system. If you want a stronger rose bush you have to have a good root system.
- Remove the bareroot rose and inspect for any broken roots or canes and remove them.
- When planting the rose you may add bone meal to the hole. Do not put fertilizer in the hole because it may burn the root system.
- Place the bush in the hole and carefully back fill with the soil mixture. The bud union should be planted at either ground level or up to 2” below. Do not compact the soil around the bush. The roots need air to breath.
- Water in thoroughly, you may want to add a liquid root stimulator mixed in at this time.
- Water consistently so that the plant does not dry out.
- Once the bush is beginning to leaf out and the ground temp. reaches 70% you can start to fertilize with organics such as Milorganite.
The past few years I have started my new roses in large pots with potting soil containing mycorrhiza. This gets the rose bush a start of a great root system. In September I plant them in their garden location to get established before winter sets in.
milwaukeerose.org 