Like bare-root trees and shrubs, bare-root roses very economical. They are less expensive, and they tend to do better in the landscape. Roses in containers often don't get off to as strong a start.
The secret to success with bare-root roses is to start with good shopping and you can apply all of the same criteria used for buying bare-root trees and shrubs mentioned above, but with a few more details.
So when making your purchase, here is how best to choose bare-root roses:
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Do your homework! With thousands of roses to choose from, think about what you want before you buy anything. Read online, visit or ask someone at your local library, or your local rose or garden club, etc. Find other people's favorite roses and ask why they like them so much. Roses can be a challenge sometimes, so get as much information you can and you will have much more success
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Since a rose can live for 50 years or more, it's best to buy the best-possible plant you can afford
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Pay attention to the grading because it's important and the number and health of the canes will help you determine the overall health of the plant
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Grade 1:
Bare-root roses that have three or more healthy canes that are plump, green and moist (not dried out and withered) are the best. Just about all roses sold in reputable garden centers are Grade 1 and will say so somewhere on the label
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Grade 1 1/2:
Bare-root roses that have at least two healthy canes
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Grade 2:
Bare-root roses that only have one cane and sometimes it is very small and scrawny looking
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Read the tags very carefully. Roses have a lot going on, so get as much information as you can about the size, color, form and especially disease resistance. Often the plant tags don't mention things such as flower fading, lack of scent, or lack of disease resistance, so make sure you ask if it is not on the tag
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What you might find on a bare-root rose tag:
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Rambler:
This is not the same as a climber. Ramblers are good if you want to cover a hillside or large area. Climbers are good to cover a fence, trellis, or arbor
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Climber:
This is a rose that does not cling and will need to be tied to its supports as it grows
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Vigorous:
Can describe many types of roses such as: hybrid teas, floribundas, and climbers. Vigorous can sometimes mean frequent pruning, so if you're not sure ask
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Mild or light scent or fragrance:
This can often mean that there is no scent at all, once again, if you're not sure, ask someone
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Fewer thorns:
Unless the tag mentions no or fewer thorns, expect a lot of thorns! The old varieties and antique roses, especially so
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Miniature:
This often refers to the size of the flower, but it can also be the size of the plant
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Hardiness:
This is the rose's ability to tolerate extremely cold weather
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AARS:
This means that the rose has won a prize from the All American Rose Selection and can refers to outstanding qualities for: color, disease resistance, vigor, growth habit and fragrance as compared with other roses introduced that year
A Few More Tips To Keep In Mind:
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Color
Roses come just about every color you can imagine, so consider colors that are suitable for your home or garden
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Form
Roses come every shape and size. Some are good to cover an arbor, some are good for a ground cover, others look best in a rose garden setting, or in container. Keep in mind how to best use a rose's form for your landscape situation
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Scent or Fragrance
If you like to cut your roses to bring indoors, you'll want a fragrant variety because some can literally scent your entire house. They are great!
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Maintenance
Some of the newer varieties can to be easier to keep up, but if you like a challenge, try some of the old-fashioned roses because they might be more susceptible to fungi, or need more pruning, they can have fantastic flowers and almost pure perfume fragrances. It's up to you how much you can handle and will have time for
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Site
What kind of conditions does your yard have? Some roses can take the shade, but most roses will want all the sunshine you can give them. Keep in mind what areas in your garden or landscape lend themselves best to roses
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Thank you for reading, wish it useful for you, happy gardening and have a nice day |
