Planting Bare-Root Roses Successfully

What are Bare-Root Roses?

Bare-root roses give you a head start in your garden and can provide years of color. They are dug from a field during winter, then stripped of soil, next packed in bark, peat moss or another mixture and finally sealed in packaging to retain moisture and shipped to our garden centers.

Here are some tips to help you get started successfully growing bare-root roses in your own garden:

• Soak roots overnight in a bucket of muddy water.
• Select a spot in your garden that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day and that has good drainage.
• Check the soil pH (5.5 to 7.0 is ideal)
• Prune any damaged or dead roots before you plant

Steps to help you get ready to plant bare-root roses:

• Dig a hole, but don’t forget to reserve the soil
• Create a mixture of equal parts gardening soil and compost or ground bark
• At the bottom of the hole, place some of the mixture, creating a cone-shaped mound
• Spread the roots over the mound, then place in the ground.
• Don’t plant it too deep. Look for a color change on the stem and the bud union (the swollen part of the stem) – those parts should be placed above ground.

Note: If you live in a cooler climate, plant deeper so the bud union is covered with soil.

Once you have planted your bare-root roses, add a heavy layer of high-quality mulch – such as home-made compost or bark-based mulches. Make sure to cover the canes so they don’t dry out.

Treat with a good fertilizer once your bare-root roses begin to leaf out.