Planting A Rose Bush

Tools Needed	Other Items Needed
Shovel	Garden Mix
Garden Fork or Spade	Compost or other Organic Material
Water Hose	Superphosphate or Bone Meal
Tape Measurer or Yard Stick	Gypsum

Step #1 - Choose A Location

Roses need at least 6 hours of sunlight each day to perform well.
Roses should be planted well away from trees and shrubs because they will compete with roses for nutrients.
Roses like well-drained soil. They need lots of water, but if their roots remain under water too long they will die. To a great extent this can be overcome with soil amendments or by building a raised bed.

Step #2 - Dig A Hole

The hole should be about 20 inches wide and 20 inches deep.
Here in West Tennessee, if you are not planting in a raised bed (recommended), the hole will be in clay, and my shovel makes the sides into a smooth, nearly watertight pot. This slows drainage, so I use a garden fork to loosen the sides of the hole.
Take the bottom 1/3 of clay/dirt from the hole and toss it.

Step #3 - Make New Dirt

Take the top 2/3 of soil/dirt from the hole and mix it with 1/3 organics (compost, peat moss, shredded pine bark mulch...I use stable droppings) and 1/3 garden mix (good black dirt with sand - I get mine at a local nursery, but Lowe's or Home Depot will have it).
Add a few handfuls of super phosphate or bone meal (a nice meal for new roots), and a 5 or 6 handfuls of gypsum (to help breakup the clay) and mix thoroughly.

Step #4 - Don't Bury It!

Here comes the trial and error portion.

Bareroot: Add your amended soil into the hole to about a height that when the bareroot bush is placed into the hole, the graft union is at or just above the surrounding soil level and the roots touch the bottom of the hole.
Now build a cone of soil in the middle of the hole. This cone is going to support the bush while you get the graft union at the right height and arrange the roots down the sides of the cone.
Keep in mind some settling will occur and the rose will sink a little.
NOTE: Be sure to soak bareroot bushes in a bucket of water containing a root stimulator overnight before planting to fully hydrate the bush.

Potted: Add your amended soil into the hole to about a height that when the pot is placed into the hole, the graft union is just above the surrounding soil.
Keep in mind some settling will occur and the rose will sink a little.

Step #5 - Planting The Rose Bush

Once you've got your rose bush situated it's time to fill in with more amended soil.

Bareroot: Fill in to about half full, using your fingers to gently push soil behind and under roots as needed.
Do not stomp or pound the soil into place to help hold the bush, roses need the air pockets in the soil to breath. Instead, get the garden hose and gently water the soil into place - this is called "mudding in."
When the water drains out, finish filling the hole and mud in again. As the soil settles during the mudding in, fill in some more until the hole is the same level as the surrounding area.

Potted: Cut the bottom of the pot loose (don't remove it yet), then set the potted rose into the hole. Gently tilt the pot enough to remove the bottom.
Make a vertical cut in the pot, top to bottom, and peel the pot away from the rose.
Fill in to about half full with the amended soil. Get the garden hose and gently water the soil into place - this is called "mudding in."
When the water drains out, finish filling the hole and mud in again. As the soil settles during the mudding in, fill in some more until the hole is the same level as the surrounding area.

Step #6 - Protect Your Baby

Bareroot: This bush has very few feeder roots left and the feeder roots are where the bush gets its water and nutrients. Until new feeder roots are established, the only water the rose has is what little it can get with the big roots (not much) and what it has stored away (not enough). So to help the bush out, cover the graft union and canes in loose soil and mulch. This protects the bush from the wind and sun, so less water is lost.

Potted: If the potted rose is not well developed, i.e. not much in the way of leaves and new canes, treat it like a bareroot. If it is well developed, i.e. lots of new green and nice white roots when the pot was removed, you won't need to protect the bush, but a shot of root stimulator when watering should take the edge off the shock of being transplanted.

Step #7 - Ring Around The Rosie

Make a ring of mounded soil around the outside of the hole. This will make it easier to water the bush as the ring acts like a dam and the water goes where you, and your rose bush, needs it.

Step #8 - New Leaves!

Bareroot: Finally, as new growth peeks out from beneath the protective soil and mulch, use the water hose to gently wash the soil and mulch away from the canes and graft union. Now your rose can really go to work for you! Enjoy the blooms!