Roses have long brought pleasure to humankind. They have been cultivated in gardens all over the world for many centuries and are fairly easy to grow once established. But, if bought at a whim while in full bloom in the late spring or summer and planted out without careful attention, roses can fall ill to the worst of fates primarily because their roots will not have had a chance to become sufficiently established before the growing and blooming season.
One thing most people forget when they feel the urge to adopt a new flowering plant is that the plant really ought to be given adequate time to establish its roots in its new location before being expected to perform during the summer blooming season. We seem to forget that the beautifully blooming plant we see in the nursery in the spring cannot continue to perform as well all summer if it has been restricted to a one or two gallon pot while awaiting planting. The plant will need some time to settle in and catch up before it can put on new growth as well as produce many flowers.
Back in the old days people knew that fruit trees and flowering shrubs such as roses needed time to grow a good root system before being allowed to bloom. Even strawberry flowers were removed the first year to give the plant a chance to get established first. But in this day and age of increasing desire for instant gratification, people want to buy plants in full flower for that instant landscaped look.
Here in coastal B.C. we do have the best of all possible worlds - long mild fall seasons in which to prepare new beds and even frequent mild winters when we can work in the garden almost every month
No Better Time Than Now
But, fall is indeed the very best time for planting roses or any large shrub or tree, mainly because there is plenty of time over the winter months for deep root growth, well before the plant is called upon to produce leaves, flowers or fruit. That is not to say that these cannot be planted in the early spring as well, only extra care will have to be given to a first year rose plant if planted in spring to ensure ample water and nutrients are provided to the plant while it is producing flowers and leaves and roots.
Container grown plants are a bit different in that they will not likely suffer the same degree of shock if planted in the spring or summer as a bare plant because their roots are not exposed to the dry air and soil while being planted out in the garden. All roses planted in spring have to be amply watered the first summer to ensure summer drought doesn't do them in.
So what can you do to give your roses a head start for next spring? if you can, order or purchase them for October or November planting. Decide where you want to plant them. Dig a BIG hole for each rose, as big as a wash tub if you can dig a hole that big. When you receive your roses, mix in a wheelbarrow of the best soil from the hole with peat moss and compost, rotten manure or what have you along with some bone meal. Put a good layer of the mix in the bottom of the hole and place the plant on top. Fill in the remainder of the hole with the rest of the mix and tamp it down with your foot to ensure that there are no air pockets. Then wet the soil entirely to the bottom of the hole, leaving no dry areas next to the roots. if it is late fall and likely to rain a lot, you needn't water again. A muIch around the plant, such as bark mulch on landscape fabric, will serve to conserve moisture and prevent the roots from freezing.
At the time of planting, you can prune your new roses back a bit, but wait until spring to prune them back more in case there is winter die-back from freezing. When you do prune them, cut to a good strong bud heading in a direction that you would like branch to grow. A top dressing of rotten manure, bone meal and a slow-release fertilizer in the early spring should then ensure that your newly-established rose gets all the nutrients it requires to provide you with a summer of pleasure. Roses which are well established before being expected to perform, and which are fed and amply and correctly pruned each spring, will reward you with an abundance of flowers for many years.
Article by Old Rose Nursery proprietor Carol Quin,
from the Autumn, 1996 edition of Coastal Grower
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thank you for reading, wish it useful for you, happy gardening and have a nice day
