How To: Plant A Rose - Rose Care - Rose help & Advice - English Roses (2024)

Our potted roses arrive in containers that they are happy to stay in until they outgrow them, usually until the end of the season. This means that immediate planting is not necessary, and you can take your time deciding where it will go. It also means you can wait for the optimum time to plant (usually November –see here for why!), although they can be planted all year round. If you don’t want to plant them in a garden and instead keep them containerised, that’s fine too! Just increase the size of the pots as the rose outgrows them, and make sure to keep them well watered.

Bare root roses should be planted as soon as possible after arriving. It is recommended that you plant your bare root rose as soon as possible. However, if you cannot plant straight away (such as due to the frozen ground or severe weather conditions), it is important to keep your bare root rose in a cool, dark place. It is also vital that you keep your bare root rose moist and free from frost. An ideal storage location would be in a dark area of a garden shed or garage for up to 2 weeks. See here for our helpful bare root guides.

How do I choose the best place for my rose? #

Roses generally like a sunny position with a good amount of space around them. Six or more hours of sun is ideal, although if the area is prone to very hot or dry conditions some shade is no bad thing. Some roses will growin partial shade, but most roses bloom their best if they are in a spot that gets sun all day.

Roses don’t have very specific requirements for soil type, so as long as the soil is in reasonable condition with plenty of organic matter, roses will grow. Also make sure the soil you plant your roses in has good drainage to avoid roots rotting in wet soil.

Finally, do not plant your roses too close together. The moreairflowaround the plants, the less likely they will be to get disfiguring fungal diseases such asblack spotandpowdery mildewon their leaves. Ensure to plant roses at least 3 feet from other plants to avoid competition for soil nutrients as well.

How to plant your potted rose #

• Wateryour potted rose generously, immediately before planting.
• Preparethe soil thoroughly, using aforkto remove and weeds or large stones. This gives your rose more room to freely grow its root.
• Diga hole big enough for the roots using a spade. This will likely be around 16″ wide x 16″ deep (40cm x 40cm). Save the soil you have removed.
• Break upthe soil at the bottom of the hole using afork
• Mixa spadeful ofpeat free rose compost and a sprinkleof granular rose feed and mix into the soil at the bottom of the hole. Mix 2 spadefuls ofpeat free rose compostwith the soil that you have removed from the hole.
• Removethe rose carefully from its container. This is usually done by gripping the rose firmly (usinggloves!) and inverting the container. Keep the soil that comes in the container.
• Gently loosenthe roots slightly so they will spread out well when planted.
• Positionthe rose in the centre of the hole. The bottom of the stems should sit about 2″ (5cm) below the top of the hole.
• Fillthe hole all around the roots, using the soil you removed (plus the soil removed from the container).
• Firmthe soil lightly using your foot.
• Waterthe rose well, andapply mulcharound the base.
• Continue to carefor your rose at it becomes established, watering well and usinggranular rose feed(applied according to product instructions).

How to plant your bare root rose #

• Remove the bare root rose from all of the packaging. Store the rose in a cool, dark place away from strong wind and frost.
• It is best to plant your rose on the day of delivery, however it will be fine for up to 48 hours if stored in a cool, dark place. If you are not ready to plant your bare root rose, you can store it for up to 2 weeks. It is vital that it is stored in a dark and cool place, such as a shed or garage, away from wind and frost and kept moist at all times. You can achieve this by wetting the roots and covering them with wet compost or newspaper.
• Lightly prune the stems and roots to help promote new growth.
• Soak the roots in a bucket of water for at least 1 – 2 hours before planting.
• Dig a hole and prepare the soil. This needs to be big enough for the roots, approx 16″ (40cm) wide by 16″ (40cm) deep. Break up the soil at the base of the hole with a fork.
• Sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi evenly onto the base of the planting hole.
• Place the bare root rose in the centre with the base of the stems about 5cm below the soil.
• Fill in the hole with a good quality loam based compost and lightly press the soil around the plant.
• Water regularly. Water your rose well and then keep doing this regularly so it doesn’t dry out.
• Continue watering and wait until spring when you can expect to see new growth and foliage. Then, when the warm summer months come around, you will be able to enjoy all the beautiful blooms your rose produces!

How to re-pot your rose #

Rose bushes can also be grown in pots which can be useful if you don’t have garden space or would like to add some colour to a patio. The planting process is very similar to planting a rose in the ground, just make sure that you increase the container size as it begins to outgrow it. For climbing or rambler roses, you will need to ensure that it is placed in a suitable location with plenty of space for it to climb. You will also need to use a large container. If you are looking for a smaller sized rose, a Patio variety would be a great selection due to its small size. We also offer a Willow basket planting service, where our rose care team will specially plant your rose into a 14L willow basket. This container is large enough for the rose to stay in for a couple of years and makes the perfect gift!

How to plant a bare root rose in a container #

The process of planting a bare root rose into a container is very similar to the above steps.

Here is some additional advice to follow:

• Make sure you plant the bare root rose during the bare root season. November time is usually a good time as it is less likely to have frosty conditions or severe weather.
• Before placing the roots into the pot, sprinkle some mycorrhizal fungi over the roots and onto the base of the planting hole.