Article - - Smart Gardening

The Best Time to Plant Roses

The Best Time to Plant Roses

Roses, one of the most popular flowers found in gardens of every type, can add a special beauty and elegance to your garden when properly grown and cared for. Planting roses is one of the first activities gardeners do at the beginning of the gardening year but, like any plant, for the rose to thrive and grow into a beautiful flower, it must be planted in optimal conditions. Optimal planting and growing conditions for the rose are at least six hours of sunlight a day, good air circulation, soil that drains well and has sufficient nutrients, and protection from exposure to freezing temperature.

In addition to these conditions, roses should also be planted during the appropriate season. Roses typically come as bare-root roses or as container-grown roses and the distinction is important because it affects when the flower should be planted. Bare-root roses can be planted basically at any time of the year (or whenever they are available) as long as the climate of the region that you live in does not go below minus ten degrees Fahrenheit during the coldest months. In climates where the temperature does drop below minus ten degrees Fahrenheit, the roses should be planted in the early spring or late fall. Container-grown roses are best planted in early spring. Planting them in the fall can be done but it usually does not allow the plant enough time to develop a sturdy root system before the winter frost. Generally speaking, planting roses in the summer is not the best time because of the heat. If you do plant them in the summer, though, you must be sure to water them at least every two days. Regardless of what season you end up planting the roses, always try to avoid doing so on very hot or very windy days.

As for transplanting roses from one part of a garden to another, there are varying opinions as to the best time to do so, but most argue that the best time to transplant a rose is when it is dormant - usually in the winter season. Of course, transplanting must be done with care, taking into consideration the age and size of the roses that are to be transplanted. Also, for successful transplanting, make sure the soil in the area where the roses are to be transplanted is properly prepared with enough peat moss, compost, transplant fertilizer, and even a little sand if the soil is too heavy. Also, before the rose is transplanted, the soil should be watered sufficiently and allowed time to settle.

Bare-root roses and container-grown roses require slightly different conditions for their planting and transplanting but for both it is recommended that they be planted in a raised bed that has good drainage and plenty of organic matter. Also, plan where you are going to place each rose so that you can be sure that there will be adequate room for root growth. When doing so, keep in mind, that roses have extensive root systems. Remember too that sufficient sunlight is also important - although too much sun will damage the plant too.