Preparing For Rose Planting

Author: Carolen

2007-09-24 Word Count: 392 Category: Gardening

To prepare your roses for planting dig the holes with a little potting soil in the bottom, keeping some sticks and twine in case you need to assist any straying shoots that need support. Cut the dead tops off the shoots, and any twisted roots, but not the small rootlets attached to the main roots.

Always take your rose trees out of their packaging at the last moment to avoid the air getting to them. If the air gets to them it dries up the sap and weakens the plant.

Hold the plant straight up and steady using a trowel to put the soil in.

Do not cramp the rose roots. Some of the trees have probably been growing in pots, and must have their roots gently parted and spread out in the hole. The potting soil helps to start the trees, and they soon penetrate into the heavier soil which is to produce such splendid rose flowers.

Just cover the roots with the light soil, and then take the spade and fill in with the loam and well rotten manure. This must not come higher than two inches above the junction of graft and stock, which can be found by the different appearance of the two woods, and also from the mark slightly showing how deeply it has already been planted in its original home, the nursery.

Settle them in firmly

The soil then needs to be stamped down very firmly to safeguard the rose trees from the wind, and to give them a chance to root.

The ground must not be too hard, but, on the other hand, the trees should be able to stand a fair tug without moving from their places. Over and over again I had only to pull at a rose tree gently, and it would be lying full length on the ground. What can be expected of the best bush that ever grew when it has been planted in that fashion?

Mulch them as a finish

After planting it is time to mulch your rose trees. Place the manure round each tree. This will keep off the frost, and an excess of rain.

Leave a space round the rose tree clear of mulch. Rotting can take place if mulch is too close to the plant. Mulch is a natural way to improve the soil.