Buying & Preparing Bare Root Roses

Roses are living things and like most living things they need three essential elements to survive and thrive: air, water and food. Give them a good home with the right conditions and feed and water them on a regular basis, and you will be rewarded with a very happy plant and LOTS of beautiful roses.

What plants to pick? Roses come in three grades: No. 1, 1 1/2, or 2 and are priced accordingly. Request No. 1 grade plants to get the highest quality. Look for large, thick thumb-sized canes 12-15" long.

When you get home:

• Remove the bare root rose from all packing material.
• Fill a bucket with room temperature water and add a few tablespoons of transplant solution such as Vitamin B-1.
• Soak the rose a minimum of 12 hours to rehydrate the root system that has suffered from weeks of exposure to less than perfect moisture conditions. If you can't plant right away, the rose can soak for 3-4 days but change the water every day to discourage bacterial growth.

Next.... Planting Roses