Helpful Tips For Planting Your Rose Bush

Taking the time to learn how to properly plant your rosebush will take you a long way. It’s important to give your plant a good start in the beginning. This means planting properly and giving it the best care for the first few months. If you take care of your roses and give them what they need, they will give you years of beautiful flowers to enjoy.

Because rose bushes are usually sold in the dormant winter months, March and April are the best months for planting them. This gives them time to settle in before spring. You want to make sure that you find the best place to plant your rose bush. It’s important to put them in place where they will get at least 6 hours of sun every day. If there’s shade in your yard that cannot be avoided, make sure that the roses get at least the afternoon sun (they can do without the morning sun if absolutely necessary).

Plenty of circulating air is also important for your plant. If it’s planted near shrubs or hedges this may reduce the air flow and your plants will have a higher chance of getting diseases. Besides a higher chance of getting diseases you may be subjecting your rose to have to compete for nutrients, sunlight and moisture. Find them a place that they can easily receive all of these necessities.

Roses do better in acidic soil measure the PH balance to determine if you need to do anything to the soil before planting. Roses also need to be planted in an area that drains well because spending a lot of time covered in water is not good for the plant. An easy check for soil drainage is to dig a hole about 12 inches deep. Fill the hole with water and let it drain. If the hole drains within an hour then the drainage is fine.

Cleaning the area to be planted ahead of time will save you a headache down the road. This will give your garden a lower chance of being destroyed by disease or pests. The hole you’re your rosebushes needs to be a big one. Because their roots are so extensive the hole should be two times as wide as the bush’s container. This will ease the growing process for your plant. Once you’re properly prepared the area for your rosebushes you’re ready to move on to the next step.

Bare-root roses need to be soaked for at least 2 hours before planting them; soaking in water helps the plant adjust to a new environment. When they’re done soaking use your pruning shears to cut off the tips of the roots.

Take the soil you dug up and mix it with ½ part compost and ½ part topsoil. After it’s mixed up put this new mixture down into the hole. Phosphate fertilizer will help too so add some of to the hole before planting. Phosphate fertilizer is good for the rose bush because it promotes root growth.

Once you’ve added everything needed to the hole build a small mound of dirt in the middle of the hole. Put your rose bush on top of the mound of dirt and spread out the roots. Make sure to plant the union bud one inch below the soil to protect it during winter. (Plants need to be buried deeper in colder climates than in warmer climates). Then add the soil in the hole until the entire bare root is covered.

Remember that rose bushes need a lot of room when you’re planting more than one bush. Dig each hole far enough apart to allow for the best growing environment. If you plant them too close together they will not be able to grow properly. Allowing 2 to 10 feet in between rose bushes is ideal (depending on which rose bushes you’re planting).