Roses: some people swear by them, others find them too prickly, too whiny or just not beautiful. However, they come in so many varieties that there is a perfect rose for everyone. And November is the perfect month to plant them with bare roots.
A rose for everyone
What types of roses exist?
Before you begin, it's helpful to know which type of roses best suits your garden. There are several categories:
Potted or patio roses
- ideal for pots or borders
- become about 60 cm high
Shrub roses
- suitable for larger borders
- around 90 cm
- good picking flowers
There are tea hybrids (large (cut) flowers often with a wonderful fragrance), floribunda roses (tea hybrids crossed with spray roses, less fragrant but lots of colors).
Shrub roses
- vary widely in size, from compact shrubs to species 2.5 meters tall
- bourbon roses, centifolias
Climbing roses
- perfect for covering walls, pergolas or (rose) arches
- flourish luxuriantly
Groundcover roses
- For covering larger areas
- grow slowly
Stem roses
- perfect for smaller gardens
- To add height to borders or paths
- stem grafted shrub or climbing roses
Planting roses with bare roots
What are bare-root roses?
You know of course the little plants and roses you buy in a pot, neat with soil in it. Starting this month - just before winter begins - roses are dormant and you can also buy them with a bare or bare root. So you literally get them without soil around the roots. That also means that the plant needs to get into the ground as soon as possible.
Why choose bare-root roses?
Why buy roses with bare roots instead of neatly potted? There are some advantages to it, which, by the way, also apply to any other trees, shrubs or plants you buy with bare roots.
They cost less.
So, immediately a good reason to choose bare-root roses: they are grown in the open ground, so there are no pots, potting soil, manure or any kind of materials involved. They are easier to pack and transport because they take up less space. So less production and transportation costs, and better for the environment, too.
They have stronger roots.
Roses grown in open ground have not been limited by a pot around their roots. Their root system is stronger, but beware: roots dry out quickly, so the key is to put a bare-root rose back in the ground as soon as possible!
They can begin to grow even now.
And not just from spring, which is the next best planting time. Planting roses just before winter, when they are dormant, allows them to send all their energy to the roots, as leaves are not an issue now anyway.
Where and when to plant?
Where?
Choose a sunny spot in the garden, as roses need at least 4 hours of sunlight a day.
When?
Planting bare-root roses is done when the plant is dormant: at the end of autumn, before winter begins. If you buy such roses, you should plant them as soon as possible so that the roots do not dry out. So take a little into account the weather forecast, because it should not be freezing at that time.
How to plant?
Put the bare-root rose in a bucket of water for a few hours while you prepare the soil.
Make a planting hole large enough for the rose in question and pry the soil loose a little around it. That way the roots will have enough room to grow and develop.
Depending on the type of soil you have to work with, you may need to improve the soil a bit with compost or soil conditioner. You can also add basalt meal to supplement nutrients and minerals.
Place the rose in the planting hole, with the base of the plant just below the surface (about 2 cm).
Fill the hole with soil and lightly shake the rose occasionally to allow the soil to spread everywhere between the roots.
Water the rose abundantly after planting: the soil will settle a little better around the roots.
