General rose planting tips, please.

[Beth_B]

Asking for an internetless friend. (Backstory: she just got diagnosed with breast cancer. I went with her to the appointment. After we were done at the doctor, she announced she wanted to go buy a rose bush to plant because she damn sure plans to be around next summer to see it bloom! So we went rose bush shopping. )

Anyway, I'm reading online about planting them but never haven had much luck myself with roses, figure I'd ask here for tips. We were advised to plant it above the graft, deep, like you plant a tomato. And not to mulch.

It's a Niel Diamond hybrid, will be going into rich wormy soil with full sun.

 

[marlingardener]

Beth, God bless your friend and her tenacity!
When planting a rose, dig a hole twice as big as the container it's in, make a small hill at the bottom of the hole, spread the rose's roots over the hill, backfill with dirt (maybe a little compost mixed in, but not a rich fill since that just encourages the roots to stay in place and not spread), and water well when the hole is half filled. Wait until the water drains, fill the rest of the hole, and water well again.
A grafted rose should be planted with the graft (a knot on the main stem) an inch or two above the soil level. If soil covers the graft, the rose tries and usually succeeds in reverting to the root which is a sturdy rose, but not particularly attractive.
This winter, since you are in Michigan, you may want to put a wire cage around the rose, fill the cage with straw or hay or leaves, to protect it from freezing. Do this after the first hard freeze.

 

[Beth_B]

@marlingardener thank you!

This is the bit I'm getting conflicting info on - planting depth. I was advised to plant two inches deeper than the graft. And not to mulch, because reasons mainly to do with fungal disease.

And yes, my friend is a tough old lady lol.

 

[marlingardener]

Beth, the planting depth depends on your climate, and unfortunately I gave you advice for warm (Texas) areas. Here is an article from a reliable source that explains the planting depth better than I did: https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/1288/

About mulching--I mulch, making sure the mulch doesn't actually touch the rose. Of course, we are trying to conserve moisture in the soil which may not be a consideration for you.

Best wishes to your tough old lady friend from another tough old lady!

 

[tbendl]

@marlingardener I have double knock outs that I planted in March. They are growing but not producing as many blooms as they had when I bought them. Do you know if there's something I need to do differently? I water them via soaker hose for about 3 hours every few days.

 

[tbendl]

I just read the entire thread. @Beth_B I am so sorry to hear about your friend. Breast cancer is a terrible thing and I hope they've caught it early. She sounds like she's got a great positive attitude and I think that helps in the healing process. Best wishes to her.

 

[marlingardener]

Tbendl, most roses come from the nursery/grower hyped on steroids! Just kidding--they have been fertilized heavily which makes for a gorgeous rose to sell, but really isn't the best thing for the plant in the long run.

If you want to encourage blooms you can apply a balanced rose fertilizer which will feed the entire plant. Be sure to follow the instructions, and if you vary from the suggested dosage, go for less, not more.

Roses go through "flushes" of blooms, then lay off for a bit, and then bloom again. I think the down time is to let us rose growers catch our breath and get ready to appreciate the next blooms!

 

[tbendl]

Ok I just wanted to make sure I wasn't overwatering. I did plant them with some rose fertilizer back in March. How often do you fertilize? I don't want to tax them and if I just need to be patient... sigh.... I will. Lol
They've been sprouting up about a foot since I put them in the ground 3 months ago so maybe they are just stretching their roots and settling in.

 

[marlingardener]

Three hours every few days? If you are getting rain, or if the soil is moist from previous rains, you can let things dry out a bit. I prefer to water with a bucket or watering can so I know exactly how much water I'm putting on a rose. This only works if you have a few roses or a LOT of time!

The balanced rose fertilizer won't harm your roses if you use it at the recommended rates and at the recommended time (for example, Ozmacote 14-14-14 is recommended for applying every three months and there are others that are applied every six or nine months.)
I don't use ozmacote, since it is relatively expensive and we have lots of composted chicken manure and regular compost.
If your roses have grown a foot since March, you are definitely doing something right! How about waiting and being patient, and see what happens in the next few weeks. Let us know how your roses are doing, please.

 

[tbendl]

Thanks @marlingardener. I guess I got nervous when I saw pictures from March compared to now and since I bought like 25 of them, I wanted to make sure I wasn't slowly killing them. Lol
I will breathe and be patient. Thanks for help. I'm actually heading into your great state this weekend.

 

[Beth_B]

Thanks guys! Niel Diamond has been planted. And now I am contemplating climbing roses for my east fence, but I will have to cage them off as the boy dogs pee on everything.

@tbendl and marlingardener too; she is indeed a tough old broad. Based on bloodwork they think it was got early, before it spread. But when they do the lumpectomy, they'll also draw fluid from each lymph gland and at that point the docs will have an accurate idea of what stage she is at.

Thanks for the osmacote suggestion, I'll get some of that. Or is aged manure just as good?

 

[marlingardener]

Beth, Osmacote lasts longer (you apply it every three months) but it is much more expensive than aged manure. Steer ( cow) composted manure is good, rabbit manure is great (doesn't have to be aged--you can hold a rabbit over the plant, squeeze, and be confident that the manure is good for the plant), and sheep manure is also good and doesn't have to be aged as long as chicken manure, which takes 6 to 12 months to be usable.

Do not, under any circumstances, let anyone talk you into having a Lady Banks rose for your east fence. Lady Banks is huge at maturity, can take down a fence or trellis, and blooms only in the spring. Stay away from this rose--she ain't no lady!

 

[Beth_B]

Thanks marlingardener! I have a bunch of aged cow and horse poop, so that will do.

And copy on no Lady Banks roses! I'm not picky. I just want prolific and pink.

 

[tbendl]

@Beth_B how is your friend and

the garden?
I followed @marlingardener's advice and was patient, got home from being gone and look!!! They are blooming like crazy. We had a ton of rain while I was gone so I'm wondering if they need a heavy watering every few days that my soaker hose isn't providing. They are so pretty and my yard is full of color!!