All about Roses, Rose Bushes, and Their Care.

When you order rose bushes online, they are usually shipped to you with the bare roots wrapped in peat moss. However, rose bushes can be purchases from your local nursery or garden center: in this case they’re usually in soil already and in a pot of some sort. Rose bushes are usually sold in the late winter months–so that they can be planted in March or April. Rose bushes are generally shipped in a dormant stage. So, when you get them it’s important that your rose bushes be planted before any new growth starts on the plant.

Once you get your rose bush, it should be planted in a location that gets least six hours of sunlight every day. The dirt should drain well and the soil should contain a lot of organic material. If necessary, you might need to add compost when you plant your rose bush. Rose bushes love their soil to be slightly acidic. If you test the soil around your rose bush, it should be in the pH range of about 5.8 to 6.3. You can check the Soil’s pH with a basic soil test kit, which is available from your local nursery, online, or from a hardware or maybe a local discount store near you.

When you plant your rose bushes, they should generally be spaced about 24 to 36 inches apart. As the rose bushes grow, it’s important for them to have good air circulation around them. This will help prevent diseases and mildew. It’s important to read the planting instructions that came with your rose bush–or ask your local nursery for specific advice about the particular variety of rose bush you’re planting–and location where you’re thinking of planting it.

Make certain that the area where you will be planting your rose bush is free of weeds and grasses. The weeds and grasses will potentially pull some of the vital nutrients away from the rose bush, and it won’t grow as well when the rose bush has to compete with weeds and grasses.

Bare Root Plants
When you first get your rose bushes and they have bare roots, then it’s important to soak the roots of the rose bush for at least 12 to 24 hours. This will make sure the rose bush can transition back properly to being planted in soil. You’ll want to prune the roots back about one-half inch to encourage new root growth on the rose bush. When planting your rose bush, first prepare (dig) a hole for is that’s at least two feet in diameter. Prune the roots back one-half inch to encourage new root growth. Mix some compost in with the dirt that you dug out of the hole. Make a mound of dirt in the bottom of the hole and spread the roots over it. Gently pack the remaining soil around the roots making sure that the graft union of the rose bush is slightly below the final soil level. Check this by placing a straightedge across the hole.

Potted Plants
when you get your rose bushes and they are in pots, you generally will perform the same procedure as when you get the rose bushes with bare roots. But, it’s not necessary to soak the rose bush. Simply take the rose bush out of the pot and make sure that you plant the rose bush at the same depth as it was in the pot.

Most newly planted rose bushes should be mulched. It’s important to keep the mulch a few inches away from the stem, though. Rose bushes should also be watered on a daily basis for about the first week and then every couple of days after that. You can then adjust the watering schedule based on the amount of rainfall you get in your area.

Once your rose bushes start growing, the rose bush should be fertilized with a fertilizer that’s specific for roses–every three months.

The roses should be pruned in early spring before new growth occurs in March.