Roses, being very delicate plants, are quite picky on how where and when you plant them. Roses cannot be planted like regular plants. A rose plant takes longer to take root and may die before its roots can support the whole plant. I had to learn this the hard way when I planted my very first rose. Later, I discovered that all I needed was enough precautions and preparations and everything else came easy. Now, I would like to share that knowledge to you, my budding grower so you don’t have to go through that learning from mistakes phase.
Generally, roses need everything other plants need nutrients from the soil, water and sun. What’s different with roses is that they are more prone to transplant/planting shock. Having to be replanted for a plant is like a slimming diet to a human until you can grow a new throat to swallow again.
The good thing is that roses have a dormant phase a time when everything slows down. This is the best time to plant a rose since they don’t take in as much nutrients as they would in an ordinary season. This phase of dormancy starts in early winter and ends in late winter. By early spring, they are already speeding up growth and catching up.
Roses need to be at least 18 to 24 inches away from another rose. Plant your row of roses in this spacing. They also don’t like to be replanted in another rose’s spot. If you are planting a rose to replace another rose, dig a hole at least 18-inches in diameter and a feet deep (the colder the climate, the deeper). Put bone meal at the bottom and fill the hole with fresh soil.
Like any other plant, your rose is going to need water. A stable nearby flowing water will be well appreciated by your rose bush. Watering your plant feeds it. Flowing water on the other hand helps maintain humidity which will encourage plant growth. As with planting any other plant, make sure you have easy water access. Make sure though that your rose doesn’t get soaked especially as winter nears.
Bush roses like moist, well-drained soil. This puts sand into mind. However, as experience dictates, clay is still more favored than sand. This may point to the need for nutrient retention in the soil you are planting your rose. To achieve this quality of soil, try mixing peat moss or cow manure.
Roses need four to six hours of sun everyday but are intolerant to much heat. They like sunny but cool places as evidenced by their natural niche. Putting them in the open sun will be good for most varieties as long as they have shade at noon and in the early afternoon especially if you have a hot climate.
Before putting your rose out in the open, consider planting companions for it. Plant diversity keeps insect populations down. They also don’t like strong gusts of wind. As a rule of thumb, put them in an airy spot under the direct sun yet protected from strong winds. Careful spacing that allow continual airflow will also help reduce parasitic infections.
Cedric James is a rose gardening expert. For more great tips on rose planting, visit http://www.rosesguides.com
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