Winter Planting Roses

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Posted by @chelle on
No matter which type of rose is your favorite, they're all woody plants. They prefer cool and consistently moist conditions, along with plenty of gentle sunlight to grow strong roots and stems at a moderate rate. If your springtime planting conditions cannot easily support this necessary growth, you might try planting fully dormant roses in winter.

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Planting dormant roses in winter gives your plants optimum growing conditions and plenty of settling-in time before hot and dry weather arrives. The most successful rose plantings are those in which feeder roots are allowed to develop at a moderate rate, and the slow awakening of plants from winter into springtime is a natural order of progression. Roses that are moved from one spot to another when fully dormant usually won't even show signs that they've been disturbed. In direct contrast, roses planted in late spring can wilt and sulk when hot weather appears.  They simply haven't had enough time to re-grow a proportionate amount of roots to supply the needs of the plant during times of increased water loss. If your plant hasn't grown enough supportive roots by this time, no amount of watering or fertilization will cause your plant to thrive.  It simply can't make use of what it's given.  

So, what will you need to have on hand to plant your roses in winter? Not much, and certainly less effort than you might need if you were to try to baby your new plants throughout the hot summer months.

You will need:

1) Good sources of dormant rose plants.  For most of us, this need is satisfied by utilizing mail order nurseries, or by using plants that we've purchased locally over the summer and grown on in containers.

2) A thick layer of hay, straw, leaves, or compost for each new plant if your shipping date is scheduled for any time after your ground usually begins to freeze.

3) Eight to ten gallons of water per plant.

4) Five to ten pounds of good compost; if already on hand, you can plan to use what you already have available from #2, above.

What you'll need to do:

Order plants from a supplier that will ship in the winter. Choose own-root plants that are hardy for your area, or plants grafted onto a rootstock that's compatible for your zone. I usually place my order in the fall, then once it's been confirmed, I dig the holes.

Dig planting holes before the ground begins to freeze. If yours doesn't freeze, just skip this section.

If you haven't seen what size roots you're going to be planting, dig your holes up to two times wider than you think you'll need. It's much easier to do it now than it will be later when the ground is frozen. Depth is a bit more difficult to predetermine, but 8 to 12 inches is a good place to start. Mix half of the compost set aside for each plant with loosened soil in each hole and really pile it up. Cover deeply with your hay, straw or leaves and pile remaining compost on top to weight it down. This will insulate the soil in the planting hole and slow the rate of freezing.

When your order of dormant roses arrives, simply pull away the covering for each hole and plant as usual. Bare-root roses will need a cone-shaped mound of soil on which to set and anchor the base of the plant. The base is the area where the main roots meet the crown. If you have slow-draining native soil, or if you're unsure what type of soil you have, gently press soil into the area between the spread roots of your plant to bring the crown up to the level of the existing ground, or slightly above it. Back-fill the hole two-thirds full, and water in well. Once the water has drained away, continue to fill the hole. Add any remaining mixed soil or compost over the crown and around the sides of the plant to form a protective cone.

That's it; you're done. Snow and rain, along with freezing and thawing cycles, will gradually wear away the mounded-up soil covering until the plant begins to bud and shoot up new spring growth. The slow and steady growth of a winter-planted rose will create a strong foundation for a plant that will provide many years of lower-maintenance enjoyment in your gardens. Adopt a fertilization and trimming regime that suits your situation and needs, then sit back and enjoy the show!  

 
Comments and Discussion
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Great information by abhege Feb 4, 2014 5:01 PM 6

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