Rose bushes: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you plant a rose?
Choose a position suited to your rose’s eventual size, with enough light and soil that drains well while retaining some moisture. Allow room for neighbouring plants and install a suitable support for a climber. Bare-root roses are planted while dormant, from late autumn to early spring in temperate climates. Container-grown roses offer a longer planting season. Avoid frozen, waterlogged or very dry ground.
Remove weeds and loosen the planting area. Work in well-rotted compost if the soil needs improving. Dig a hole wide enough for the roots or root ball without bending them into a cramped space. Keep bare roots moist before planting; water a container plant before carefully removing its pot.
Spread bare roots naturally and gently loosen circling roots around a root ball. Check planting depth with a cane laid across the hole. For a grafted rose, follow the nursery’s guidance for the plant and your climate rather than burying the graft deeply by guesswork. Backfill with the prepared soil and firm gently without compacting it heavily.
Water thoroughly to settle soil around the roots, then add mulch while keeping the stems clear. Monitor moisture during establishment, especially through the first dry summers. Attach climbing stems loosely to their support. Remove broken growth and adapt any further pruning to the rose group instead of cutting every new plant alike.
When do roses flower?
How do you prune a rose?
How to care for this plant
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Maintain the mulch
Check the ground cover around the base. If the mulch has thinned, top it up on moist, well-drained soil after removing competing weeds. Keep the trunk, crown and graft union clear; add nothing if the existing layer is sufficient.
