Eleanor Clarke
GARDENING
Plant a Bare-root Rose
Granted, a plant in a bag with no soil around its roots doesn’t sound very sexy, but bare root is the way to go if you want value for money and good strong growth in the year to come. November to March is the season for bare-root roses, whether they’re shrub roses, climbers, ramblers or hybrid teas, and we’re totally up for celebrating that!
Because they’re dormant in winter and stored carefully to keep them cool and humid, bare-root roses are just as good (often better) than those sold in pots – and they’re cheaper too, as you’re not paying for a pot and compost too, plus shipping costs are less as they’re lighter.
A quick step-by-step planting guide
So if you’re in the market for some new roses this winter, in readiness for a summer of gorgeous scented blooms (and they do brilliantly in London’s heavy clay soil), this is what you need to do.
1. Soak the roots of your rose in water for 3-4 hours.
2. Dig out a square planting hole that’s just bigger than the size of your bare-root rose when its roots are spread out. It needs to be just less than the depth of the graft union (this is where one rose is attached to the roots of another variety – look closely at the base of the plant and you’ll spot the join quite easily).
3. Dig a spadeful or two of well-rotted compost or manure into the soil you removed, more if your soil is poor (ie NOT London clay).
4. Sprinkle some Rootgrow over the roots of the rose, then place in the hole.
5. Refill with your improved soil, firming it down well to get rid of any air pockets.
6. Water well at the base and keep watering through its first year of growth, paying particular attention in summer.
N.B If you’re growing roses in pots, go large as they’re hungry plants and the soil in pots can quickly run out of nutrients. In the growing season (spring and summer), feed every other week with a liquid rose feed or general-purpose plant food.
Potted roses are available throughout the year at The Nunhead Gardener, with our collection increasing in spring and summer.
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