Roses – 1699971998

Planting Roses

• Wear sturdy gloves to protect your hands from prickly thorns. Have a hose or bucket of water and all your planting tools nearby. 
• Soak bare-root roses in a bucket of water for 8 to 12 hours before planting.
• Prune each cane back to 3 to 5 buds per cane. Any cane thinner than a pencil should be removed.
• If planting container-grown roses, loosen the roots before planting.
• When you plant the rose, be sure to dig a much bigger hole than you think you need (for most types, the planting hole should be about 15 to 18 inches wide) and add plenty of organic matter, such as compost or aged manure.
• Water liberally after planting.
• Mound up loose soil around the canes to protect the rose while it acclimates to its new site.
• Some old-timers recommend placing a 4-inch square of gypsum wallboard and a 16-penny nail in the hole to provide calcium and iron, both appreciated by roses.
• Don’t crowd the roses if you plan to plant more than one rose bush. Roses should be planted about two-thirds of the expected height apart. Old garden roses will need more space, while miniature roses can be planted closer.