Planting roses. Roses should be planted in the spring as soon as weather and soil conditions are favorable. Never work the soil while it is wet. When preparing the soil, spade to a
depth of 2 feet and add organic matter and fertilizer. Use 2 pounds of a 5-10-5 or similar analysis fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed. Before planting bareroot rose bushes, remove any
broken or diseased roots and prune the remaining roots to 8 to 10 inches long. Canes should be pruned prior to planting. Remove any thin or weak growth; then thin the plant down to
three or four strong canes, leaving five to seven healthy buds. Dig a hole about 18 inches in diameter by 14 inches deep. Mound the soil at the center and spread the roots over the
mound (see illustration). The graft union should be at or slightly below the final soil line.
Add soil until the hole is two-thirds full. Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots and make good contact without compacting the soil. Allow the water to drain away, finish filling the hole, and water the plant a second time. Build a soil mound to cover two-thirds of the canes to prevent drying of the young lateral buds while the root system is being
established. When new growth is approximately 1 to 2 inches long, remove the soil from around the plant, being careful not to damage any young growth within the soil mound.
When planting container rose bushes, it is not necessary to do any root pruning. However, the canes should be pruned to remove any weak or diseased growth and any broken canes.
Once the plant is prepared, dig a hole at least 8 inches wider than the root ball and deep enough to plant the rose at the proper depth (graft union at or slightly below the soil line).
Again fill the hole two-thirds full with soil, and water the plant thoroughly. Finish filling the hole and water again. With container roses, it is not necessary to mound the soil since a
root system is already present. It is wise to mulch the soil toprevent rapid soil drying.