Planting Bare Root Roses

Few things in life are more elegant than beautiful, fragrant Roses. Spring is here and now is the perfect time to start planting for those gorgeous summer blooms! TIPS: If your Bare Root Rose comes packaged in dirt, remove the dirt and reserve it for planting later. You will need to soak the roots in a bucket of water for at least 6 hours (up to 24 hours). Pre-mix your soil in a large container before adding to planter pots. I used a mixture of good potting soil, compost and the reserved packaged dirt. For the planters, use coffee filters to cover large drain holes. This prevents the soil from getting flushed out while still allowing for good drainage. Add enough of the soil mixture to cover the bottom so that the bottom of your Rose stem sits in the upper 1/3 of your planter. Use a skewer to determine how high the soil level will be. It should be above where the stem branches off from the main stem to protect the stem and possible graft. (see video) Mix into your planter soil Organic Epsoma Rose Tone per the package instructions. Trim the tips of your roots and stems to encourage new growth. Sprinkle the roots and soil with a teaspoon of Mycorrhizal Fungi for strong root development. Sit your Rose into its bed and cover with remaining soil, gently pressing to secure it in its new home. For this presentation I am planting Floribunda Moonlight in Paris. It is a pale pink and soft apricot shrub rose that will produce large clusters of blooms.