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Bareroot roses are grown in fields and dug out in the fall of each year, when they are placed in cold storage, and then shipped to the consumer. Bare-root roses don’t look very promising – the roses are all dormant stem and brown roots and look dead - but they’re the ideal way to get your roses off to a great start since there’s no chance of transplant shock. Plant these roses in early spring in any part of the country. Some people prefer to buy their roses already potted, but you will find some big advantages to purchasing bareroot roses.
The advantages of bareroot roses include a much wider selection of roses by mail than you can find in any one nursery. You can plant as early as February in some zones, allowing the roots to get well established before the growing season. You get better first-year growth and better quality roses. If you do choose to wait to buy roses in the store that are already in soil, remember that you are buying what is basically a bareroot rose in disguise.
When your bare root roses arrive from the grower, there are some important things that you must do to ensure their survival. Do not let your new bareroot roses dry out before planting. Plant your roses as soon as possible, or store them in moist soil. Just lay the roses partially on their side and heap loose soil over the roots, then keep moist. (This is also called “heeling in”.) Inspect the rose immediately. Open the shipping container as soon as possible after it is received. Check for broken canes and roots, and trim off all damaged parts with sharp, sterilized pruning shears. Doing this immediately is important to reduce the likelihood of rot and disease – specifically root and crown galls.
In addition, you should soak the roots overnight in a bucket of water. If you want, you can add a weak solution of rooting activator that contains synthetic Vitamin B1. However, a mild solution of “willow water” will also work… if you have access to willows, that is. This procedure rehydrates the roots. [Hint: If you have added supplements to your soaking water, save the water for use later in the planting process.] Prepare the hole into which the rose is to be planted. As a rule of thumb, dig the hole about 1½ times as deep and 1½ times as wide as the root system is long. Mound a small pile of soil in the center of the hole as a support for the rose’s root crown.
If you have properly prepared your soil, no additional materials need to be added to the hole. However, if your rose bed is new or your soil is low in nutrient value, you may want to add a small amount of ground phosphate rock or bone meal to the bottom of the hole. Also, try to sprinkle a dusting of powdered kelp into the bottom and sides of the hole, although this is not required. Plant the rose according to your hardiness zone. In all cases, spread the roots down and over the top of the mounded soil in the holes bottom. Ensure equal distribution of the roots around the mound. Remember: Your placement of those roots will determine how they will grow in the future. Never wrap roots around the rose.
There are five (5) types of bareroot roses available in the United States. These include the Hybrid Tea – Large flowers (30-50 petals), generally one per stem. These are medium to tall in habit with long cutting stems. The Grandiflora have large flowers in clusters on stem and are usually taller in habit with individual stems within each cluster suitable for cutting. The Floribunda have medium sized flowers in clusters on stems and are more compact in habit with medium length stems. These bloom continually. The Climbers are above types with a “climbing” habit and finally, there are shrubs, which are used in the landscape for color from 5 to 15 feet high and wide, often “self-cleaning” (makes deadheading unnecessary). The unique group of roses hybridized by David Austin (often called “English Roses”) belongs to this class.

Planting bareroot roses is a good choice for your rose garden because they are the ideal way to get your rose garden off to a good start. There is no risk of transplant shock and the roses are bare and ready to be planted in your own soil.