Bare facts for planting bare-root roses

Southern Living, Feb 2001 by Druitt, Liz

These plants can unnerve an inexperienced gardener. Here's how to get them growing.

It can be a little scary the first time you see a bare-root rose unwrapped.

Whether purchased with its roots hidden by a colorful bag, or received in a shipping box through the mail, once you've stripped off the packaging it seems so, well, bare. Your dream of richly colored petals spilling their intoxicating fragrance through a sunny, blooming garden is represented by nothing more than a prickly bunch of sticks.

Don't let the raw appearance dismay you though. Container-grown plants are easier to deal with in some ways, but buying roses or having them shipped while they're dormant and require no heavy supporting soil is very practical. It can also save some bucks (with which to buy more roses). Plus, bare-root roses are conveniently available during the cool fall, winter, and early-spring months that are our prime Southern planting season. Roses are tough; these sticks actually will turn into the rosebush of your imagination, with only a little effort on your part.

The first thing to do, once you've gotten over your instant of shock, is to pull on your gloves and inspect your purchase thoroughly. Canes should be plump and green, not desiccated and shriveled. Roots should be flexible, with minimal breakage. If everything looks to be in pretty good shape, this is the time to clip off any damaged parts and generally tidy up the plant.

Once you've groomed your rose, drop it (root end down) into a bucket of water to soak. You can, if you feel particularly nurturing, add a few drops of root stimulator, some alfalfa pellets, or a handful of compost, but plain old water is fine. The soaking time can be anywhere from 4 to 24 hours to properly rehydrate the rose without waterlogging its roots. This should give you plenty of time to dig and prepare the planting hole.

The new home you prepare for your bare-root rose should be in a nice, sunny area with well-drained soil. It helps to work plenty of organic material into the planting hole to feed the plant slowly and steadily as it gets established. There's no need to add a stronger fertilizer until the weather warms and the rose begins to show signs of active growth.

You want the roots of your rose to grow at a natural downward angle, so make a little mound of soil under it for support. Add more soil until the rosebush is covered almost up to the graft union. (This is the knobby area at the base, where the rose plant you purchased is grafted, or budded, onto a super-vigorous rootstock to improve the plant's early performance.) Make sure the graft union is above ground unless you want the rose to put down its own roots (see southernliving.com, AOL Keyword: Southern Living for more information on this). Firm the soil, then water thoroughly to get rid of any air pockets. Add a layer of mulch for insulation. Don't remove the rose's identification tag, but move it if it cuts off growth.

That's it. You are now the proud owner of some carefully planted sticks. And in just a few weeks, when the leaves actually grow, and the tempting buds begin to form, you will be so glad you had the courage to follow that rosy dream.

Liz Druitt

Note: Planting depth can vary depending on your growing conditions. Ask a local American Rose Society consulting rosarian if you have any questions on planting or caring for roses in your area. To find a nearby rosarian, contact the ARS at 1-800-637-6534.