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 plant roses at least 3’ away from other plants, and allow at least 5’ for climbing or suckering roses.
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 to 12” deep and in as wide an area as possible.
Add:
Blend amendments into the bed evenly.
If creating a bed is not possible, dig a 12” deep x 18” wide hole and mix soil well with the above amendments.
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. Rose flowers are hard to resist, so when they bloom, our selection fades. Please call in advance to find current availability.
Follow soil prep instructions above.
Dig a hole, 12” x 18”, and 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.
Roses can be moved in autumn without too much trouble. They should be moved later in autumn, the middle to late part of October or the first part of November. More precisely, it is best done once the season has definitely cooled off 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 an intact root ball as you can manage. Move the plant promptly to the new spot, making sure the soil level as it relates to the bush stays the same; don’t 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.
All you need to know about caring for roses in the Pacific Northwest.
