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Choose a sunny location with at least 6 hours a day, preferably during the hottest part of the day.

Good air circulation is important, so roses should be planted at least 3 feet away from other plants. Allow at least 5 feet for climbing or suckering roses.

Preparing the soil for planting

Roses grow best in well-drained soil with a pH around 6.5. Creating a rose planting bed, with a large area of amended soil, gives roses a great start.

Turn soil over 12 inches deep, in as wide an area as possible.

Add compost or rose planting mix, covering the bed with 1” of either while blending with the existing soil. Lime and organic rose fertilizer should also be introduced at planting.

Blend amendments into the bed evenly.

If creating a bed is not possible, dig a 12 inch deep and 18 inch wide hole, mixing the soil well with the above amendments.

Planting Our Bare Root Roses

Our bare root roses arrive in February, and our potting crews get right to work planting them in containers. All are sold in pots, rather than bare-root, which protects their roots from breaking and drying out.

When planting bare root roses, follow the soil prep instructions above. Then dig a hole 12 inches deep and 18 inches wide, and be sure to make a cone-shape soil mound in the bottom of the hole.

Place the plant above the mound so the bud union (swelling at the base of the stem) is above or at ground level.

Fill the hole 2/3 full. Lightly tap the soil to remove air pockets. Fill in with remaining soil so that soil level is level around the base of the rose.

Water thoroughly and slowly.

Moving a Rose Bush

Roses can be moved in autumn without too much trouble. They should be moved later in autumn, near the end of October or the first part of November, when the weather has cooled—but before it has rained so much that the soil will be saturated. Before digging up the rose, have the new site prepared.

Cut the rose bush back to about 18 inches tall, pruning as you otherwise would in February. Then dig up the plant, keeping as much of the root ball intact as you can manage. Move the plant promptly to the new spot, keeping the soil level close to its original planting. Do not bury the stem.

Water it in afterwards to settle the soil, and apply a thin layer of mulch. Again, don’t bury the stem. The plant shouldn’t need further care until spring growth starts.