Planting Tips

Roses are easy to grow. Members of the British Rose Growers' Association say 'treat them as you would human beings and you won't go far wrong', i.e.: lots to eat and drink, a bit of love and appreciation and you've cracked it.

Choosing a Site
Any friable (easily breaks or crumbles when handled), well-drained, soil will grow roses. Choose a site that gets full sun, or at the very least 50% of the day in the sun. If you are replacing old roses with new roses remove as much of the old soil as possible and replace with soil that has not grown rose before (the old soil will grow anything else apart from roses). If you need more information then please telephone or email us.

Planting
Container-grown roses can be planted at any time of year. However, care is required to ensure successful growth. The hole must be wider and deeper than the soil ball, while the space between the soil balls and the sides of the hole must be filled with a soil enhanced with organic matter, such as garden compost, manure or proprietary rose and shrub compost, and not ordinary soil as the roots may not grow.

Bare root roses (not in pots) can only be planted between October and March. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots and place a handful of bonemeal at the bottom of the hole, mixing in with the soil. Place the rose in the ground and backfill with topsoil that has been enriched with organic matter (garden compost, manure or a proprietary rose and shrub compost).

Make sure the graft union (swelling) is at, or slightly below, soil level (see above), Water well (if no graft union is visible plant at the same level as in the pot). Standard roses and climbing roses are also easy to establish if the guidelines in the following diagrams are followed.

Correct spacing of your roses, will help to ensure optimum growth. Table 1 gives a guide to the spacing required between plants of a similar type.