Planting Bareroot Roses
Select a spot that is in full sun and prepare the holes for the new roses. Dig that hole about 12-inches deep and 24 inches wide. Loosen the soil at the bottom and side with a shovel. Check the drainage by filling the hole with water. If the drainage is adequate, it should take one hour to drain completely. Build a mound in the center of the hole to support the roots. Immediately after bringing your bareroot rose home, soak the roots in lukewarm water for 12-24 hours, If you can’t plant your roses within that time frame, leave them in their boxes or packaging for up to a week in a cool, dark place and sprinkle the roots with water every few days. Set the rose on top of the center mound, spread the roots and make sure the crown is at ground level or slightly higher in warm winter climates. Where winters are cold, plant the crown a bit lower into the ground. Fill the hole with 2/3 backfill soil mixed with compost or peat moss. Water in, then add more amended soil as needed. Tamp down gently and water well.
John Bagnasco’s Organic Rose Formula
1 Cup organic rose food
2 Cups worm castings
1 Tbsp chelated iron
1 Tbsp Humic acid
Mix above ingredients and add to soil around each established rose bush. Use half this amount for new roses or miniatures. Water in the dry ingredients.
Apply a pre-emergent such as Green Light Amaze before applying the mulch.
Repeat in June and September for quality blooms through the entire growing season.