Bareroot rose planting
Plant bareroot from November to April for strong results
ALTHOUGH roses can be bought in containers yearround for planting, bareroot plants are available between November and April, and this is the traditional way to plant them.
Carried out by growers for generations, this method is called ‘bareroot’ because plants are bought without soil around their roots.
Planted during the dormant season, except for when the ground is waterlogged or frozen, they will grow rapidly and strongly in spring.
When planting, remember that roses do best in full sun and somewhere with good airflow. They require well-drained, fertile soil with a slightly acidic pH of 6.5, though they thrive in most healthy wellnourished soil. Ideally, don’t grow new plants in soil where roses were previously grown, as they can fall foul of replant disease and fail to thrive.
If you have no choice, alleviate the risk by replacing the soil with fresh and digging in lots of well-rotted manure, leafmould or compost.
If planting bareroot, soak the roots for a few hours beforehand to thoroughly rehydrate them.
You may also like to add some mycorrhizal fungi to the planting hole to give the roots a helping hand (see information panel below).
When the rose is planted, mulch it with well-rotted compost to help retain moisture in the soil and keep it weedfree. Prune it right back to encourage lots of new shoots when it returns to growth in spring.