ROSE PLANTING
Planting a rose plant goes beyond how deep the hole should be and if fertilizer should be used now or later. The first and most important step in rose planting that should not be overlooked is picking the location of where you are going to plant your roses. It is as true in planting as it is in real estate location, location, location. There are several things that need to be considered when choosing a location for our rose plants.
Will the place you choose to plant your roses get enough sunlight? The majority of rose species should have at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight a day. Even rose plants that are shade tolerant need about 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight to do well.
Is the soil where you plan to plant your roses healthy? Roses are hungry eaters and need to have nutritious soil. They do not like soil that has too much clay or too much sand. A quick test you can do with your soil to find out if it has too much clay or sand is to clump it in your hand. If the soil holds the mode and does not crumble easily, and has too much clay. It’s a soil if the soil crumbles to easily and does not hold the mold, as too much sand. Good soil should hold the mold in your hand but crumble easily. The soil should also not be too acidic, contain too much limestone or too much chalk.
And finally, is the place where you are going to plant your rose bush too close to trees or other plants? There are many trees and other large plants that will extract water and nutrients from the soil and the roots that extend far beyond their drip line. If you encounter a lot of roots when you’re digging your hole for the rose bush, most likely these roots are going to cause a problem for your plant. There are some climbing rose and other shrubs that are an exception but rose plants only like to be mixed with other roses or non-invasive plants.
Now that you have the perfect location for your rose plant, you can think about the basics such as how deep the hole should be. You’ll need to dig a hole that is slightly larger than the size of the pot the plant is in or root system of the plant. The depth of the hole depends on the climate you live in. Colder areas need to plant their roses slightly deeper. It is a good idea to talk to other rose growers in the area to find out which is the proper depth for you. Depths may be different for lots of different people but everyone can benefit from loosening the soil at the bottom of the hole. You can also place some compost in the bottom of the hole plus a sprinkle of bone meal which is a source of Phosphorus and a slow acting and encourages healthy root growth. Spread out the roots slightly after you placed the plant in the whole. Refill the hole and make sure the soil settles around the roots. Water the roots before you cover them with the last couple inches of soil. And finally placed the last of the soil back into the whole and firm the soil slightly you can water the plant at this step also.