How to plant a bare-root rose

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How to plant a bare-root rose

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Friday, 12 July 2019 at 4:05 pm

Follow our guide to planting a bare-root rose, with tips on the depth, feeding and planting times.

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Planting bare-root roses during the dormant season is a great way to get ahead for the growing season and save money, too.

Bare root roses are available to buy in autumn and winter and are more economical than planting pot-grown roses, and there's a much wider variety of bare rooted roses to choose from than if buying pot-grown plants. Unlike potted plants, a bare-root rose has naked roots with no soil. You plant them when dormant and, as soon as temperatures increase again in spring, they start into growth quickly and strongly.

You Will Need

Bare-root rose
Spade
Fork
Bamboo cane
Slow-release granular fertiliser

Step 1

Digging a hole

Dig out a hole in the soil to the depth of a garden spade and the same width. Put the soil to one side of the hole.

Step 2

Adding granular fertiliser

Fork the base of the hole and add half a handful of granular fertiliser, such as pelleted chicken manure. Lightly firm the base of the hole with your foot.

Step 3

Setting the rose in position

Set the bare-root rose in position and use a bamboo cane placed across the top of the hole to judge the final soil level around the plant. Aim to set the base of the stems just slightly below this level.

Step 4

Planting the rose

Add a spadeful of compost to the soil dug out of the hole and mix it together. Use this to fill in around the roots of the rose, firming in layers with the heel of your foot.

Step 5

Mulching with well-rotted manure or compost

When the hole is full, add a mulch of well-rotted compost to the surface of the soil to help conserve moisture. Water the rose well.

Don't plant during frosty weather as intense cold can kill the roots of the rose. Keep bare-root plants in a frost-free shed until daytime temperatures are above freezing.

Boots. Photo: Getty Images.

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