Any plant is going to do better in the prospicient term if it has the idealistic apparatus to begin with , and this is particularly true for rose .

give that a roseate plant will belike be with you for at least a few 10 to come , you do n’t need to slump on setting it up in good order .

It may seem pretty square : dig a hole , put the flora in , sate it up , and voila ! But not so fast . There ’s more to it than that , and it ’s all those little details that can set your plant up for winner … or failure .

A close up horizontal image of a gardener wearing red gloves planting a potted rose bush out into the garden.

Rose bushes lining the highway.

With so many pest , disease , and other problem just waitress to plague your plant , it ’s of import to find the right situation , at the right time , and put them in the earth the veracious manner .

That ’s what this guide is all about .

We ’ll walk you through footstep by step , to help you give your new roses just what they need to get begin . Here ’s what we ’ll go over :

Gloved female hands holding a small rose bush that had been removed from its pot.

Rose bushes lining the highway.

What You’ll Learn

Right Planting Time

Site Selection

Create the muddle

A close up vertical image of a spade and watering can in a rose garden with trees, shrubs, and lawn in soft focus in the background. To the top and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

Prep the Plant

Put It in the Ground

By the path , this guide mainly deals with potted roses , though it also applies to bare rootage ones as well .

A horizontal image of a highway in Orgeon with rose bushes planted on the side of the road.

If you opt to bulge with a nude root works , head to our guideto hear even more about selection and planting .

Here we go !

1. Choose the Right Planting Time

While you may always plant whenever the soil is workable , your rose is more potential to hold up and become well - make if you put it in the ground at sure time of the year .

Ideally , you will put your raw addition in the land when the weather is mild , and rainfall is a regular feature of speech in the prognosis .

That commonly intend the beneficial time to plant is in the spring or fall , with give being preferred in areas that have rough wintertime , namely inUSDA Hardiness Zones6 and below .

A close up horizontal image of a spade in the soil of a garden bed with lawn in soft focus in the background.

Wait until the risk of frost has pass in the springiness and the soil can be worked well . In the declivity , plant at least six weeks before the first expected frost date .

Do n’t constitute when the territory is wet , such as after a cloggy rain storm , as this can cause it to pack together around the roots . Avoid planting during extreme hotness or drought conditions as well .

2. Site Selection

The second stride is picking the right berth .

Site selection is passing of import ! While it ’s potential to produce roses in all variety of places , the right situation will make your life as a nurseryman so much loose .

So what does the perfect spot look like ? This depend on the specie , hybrid , or cultivar you select , so make trusted to take up on its specific essential .

A close up horizontal image of a gardener planting a bare root into the soil in a raised bed.

For example , in Portland , Oregon , there are roses lining the freeways .

They receive little care in term of sustentation , and the territory is definitively subpar , but they still bloom . The headstone is that they are mostly species or very hardy types .

Some of theold garden , showy , graceful types –   like tea or damask roses – would never survive in that environment . These need a location with practiced soil , optimum sunlight exposure , heedful spatial arrangement , and supplementary irrigation .

A close up horizontal image of a potted shrub showing the bud union.

By the way , if a dauntless rose is sounding mighty good to you in good order now , we havea usher to help you pick the right one .

While site pick reckon on the variety you have , there are some general guidelines that employ to most eccentric .

They preferfull sun , with morning sunlight in particular . A land site that is well - draining and protected from wind is idealistic . Do n’t found under tree diagram .

A close up vertical image of a potted rose shrub planted out into a sunny garden.

When possible , you should also choose a spot where roses have n’t been spring up in the past three years .

They also favor fertile , loamy , well - draining grunge with a pH around 6.0 to 6.5 .

I like to put a potted rose from the nursery in place for a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. or two in my choose spot , to determine if I really like the spatial relation , and to verify there is n’t any unexpected shade .

A close up horizontal image of a dirt cone inside a hole dug in the garden.

Also keep this in thinker : your shrub wo n’t expect so pretty in the winter . You might not desire to put it directly in the center of an idyllic view outside your window , for instance .

It might look pretty now , but conceive of what it will look like when it ’s desolate as well .

For more information on choose the good location in your garden , steer to our comprehensive scout ! .

A close up horizontal image of a gardener’s hands using a pair of pruners to trim the canes of a shrub prior to planting out into the garden.

3. Create the Hole

Before you start digging , hit any weeds or grass from the orbit you design to plant in . expend a garden fork to dig around the area , and polish off any large stone .

In a perfect world , I ’d tell gardener to dig a five - foot - wide by three - foot - deep hole ( or one that ’s even larger ! ) for each and every rose President Bush .

But I realize that ’s altogether unrealistic .

A close up horizontal image of a potted rose shrub set on the ground next to a pair of pruners.

I certain as heck am not about to do that much dig , but I cerebrate this passport help to instance the general estimation nonetheless : the secure a foundation that you are able to make for your roses , the happier they ’ll be .

The more you may enrich and perfect the ground where you are planting , the serious – unless you have pure grime already , of course .

At a minimum , dig a hole that is twice as wide and just a bit mysterious than the container that your shrub amount in , or the size of the root structure .

A close up vertical image of a hand from the right of the frame planting a rose shrub into a hole in the garden.

Before you commit to a give spot , it ’s always smart to try out and check that the soil has appropriate drain .

fill up the mess with pee , and let it sit for an minute . If the water has n’t drained out in an hour , you need to amend your soil before you’re able to put a rose there .

That mean working in some compost at least two feet or more down and around the hole you already make .

A close up horizontal image of a shrub planted in the garden showing the bud union at the soil line.

Once you have that classify , shuffle in roughly adequate parts well - rottedcompostand aboriginal dirt that you dug out , to enrich it .

Compost helps amend soil texture whether you have clay , sand , or something in between , and it adds nutrients that your plant can use as it becomes establish .

or else , you canplant in a raise bedor container filled withpurchased potting soilif you do n’t want to or ca n’t create the ripe conditions for your rosiness .

Two female hands in blue cloves with green spade planting a red blooming rose bush.

Fill the base of the hollow to the full stop that your plant will sit down at the right summit . If the rose is graft , then you ’ll need to place the bud North just above the soil degree .

For people live in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 and below , you ’ll want to bury the bud union by an inch or two .

If your industrial plant is n’t grafted , you want the crown to sit at priming coat level . Those in zone 6 and below should immerse the crest by an inch .

It can be a little difficult to recite where the flora will sit before you fill the hole in with soil , but I find that placing a stick or other straight man of wood or metal across the hole helps to act as a guide .

Lower the rose into the kettle of fish and you ’ll be able-bodied to see where the crown will model when it is fill up .

Then , make a small conoid - determine mound in the base of the hollow .

The aim of this mound is to create a support structure that encourages the roots to grow down and out , rather than straight down or around the perimeter of the kettle of fish you dug .

Do n’t put fertiliser in the hole .

4. Prep the Plant

If you have a bare root plant , be sure to imbue it in pee for at least eight 60 minutes or so before start up this operation . This adds moisture and helps it to emerge from dormancy .

Now , put on your boxing glove . Roses are dandy , but they can be vicious if you catch yourself on a prickle ( also ordinarily known as a thorn ) .

Next , trim away any canes that are smaller than a pencil , until you have about three to five skillful - sized cane left .

lightly remove the potted works from its container by grip around the root and wiggling it . Loosen the ground and open out the roots gently , without break them .

For either bare root or potted plants , cut down away any dead root or canes using a clean pair of clippers .

Cut away any prime or forming buds to the first five - leaf cusp .

5. Put It in the Ground

Place the prepared rose in the hole , and set the roots over the cone of poop you made in the base of the hole . Check to verify the bud union or cap is sitting where you want it .

Slowly fill the golf hole with the stain and compost mixture , pack down gently to off any zephyr pockets as you go . You do n’t require to tamp too hard or you may smash the roots .

Once you ’ve filled the hole by about two - thirds , soak it well with water supply to assist get back the soil .

Check to see that the bud trades union or diadem is where you want it to be , and then continue add soil until the jam is full .

If the rose has conciliate too low , grip around the crown ( you arewearing glove , veracious ? ) and lightly rip the industrial plant up . Use a pumping motility to do this – mean of the motion you might make when plunging a privy .

Water again to settle the filth . summate more soil if ask to point the ground , and tamp gently .

If you imbed a bare solution , heap compost around the canes until just the tops are sticking out . Again , maneuver to our spare tooth root rose guidebook cite above to read in more detail how to do this , and when to remove it .

For potted roses , some people like to trim the cane down to about nine inches in top . If you do n’t want to shave that much , do n’t accent about it . As long as you have bump off any bud and flowers , it should be fine .

However , if your rose starts telling you that its root social organization ca n’t support the top , by tip off over or leaning after you plant it , trim the stems and foliation back by at least a third .

You ’ll hump the plant is shin if the foliage set about wilting in the heat or in between waterings .

Now , keep your new garden pal well - water , and tot up soil if the hole you toil scratch line to settle around the root word . For moretips on spring up roses , we have a founder ’s guideto heighten these beauties .

Give Your Rose the Right Start

blush wine can be a piece demanding sometimes , there ’s no refuse it . But you ’re less likely to run into worry down the road if you give your plant the right condition to begin with .

I hope that you find that this guidebook has set you up for success , and I have no uncertainty your roses will soon be the pate gem of your neighborhood .

Now that you ’re a planting professional , you might want toexpand your roseate knowledge . If so , we have some helpful guide that you might need to take a look at next :

Photos by Kristine Lofgren © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right field RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Originally published July 4th , 2020 . Last updated April 22nd , 2025 . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .

About

Kristine Lofgren