The bare root DA rose I bought this year had substantial roots - the depth was certainly greater than 35cm. Maybe wait until they arrive and see how substantial they are.
That’s great to hear. How long did delivery take? And did you plant yours in the ground or in a pot?
Mine is in the ground. It came very quickly after I ordered it but that was before the lockdown. It grew lots of healthy looking shoots and then the rabbits ate them but now I've protected it and it is shooting again
When your roses arrive they should have DA advice for planting included. I did mean trim the roots because the ends are likely to be quite dry and may not rehydrate. It is usual to prune the stems too back to a healthy, outward facing bud but see what DA advise first.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
DA do not mention trimming the roots or at least I didn't see that info in the guide book they sent along with the delivery. And so I looked up online and did it but it's good you lovely people have brought it up here. And yes, the roots are long. My bare plants came within a week of ordering (early last week in this lockdown).
I've planted my roses in 50cm pots. I also have a few 40cm ones where I want to plant some others with the intention to move later. Those barrels don't come cheap so can't afford to buy all at one go unfortunately.
Not to hijack your threat @Rubi but just wanted to check, now that growing roses in barrels has come up, @debs64, do you line the barrels before adding the compost?
Would smallish containers (approx 35cm x 35cm) be ok to begin with, with the aim to repot them once they’re a bit more established? Yes, not a problem. I have roses in pots smaller than these. They are good for one season for the roses you are getting, which buys you time until you can collect together larger pots for next winter when you can then repot.. cheap plastic pots are easy to manage for this purpose...
And does it matter much if they are in plastic pots as opposed to terracotta pots? No, not at all... I use plastic pots.. the big decorative ones are too heavy for me..
What type of soil should I use? Rose, shrub & tree soil or John Innes No3? As the two soils are quite different. use a 50/50 mix.. very approximately, no need to measure it out...
Should I mix in any organic matter with the soil, such as organic farmyard manure? .. not for the first season, just use the above - keep it simple ..
Should I add any fertiliser after planting them? Your roses will have been kept in cold storage. They will be well behind. Wait until they start to leaf out then add a small handful of fertilizer. Do not use wholly Organic. Organic based/non organic is best.. you will also liquid feed through the season of course..
What is best for mulching? Stones or bark? I use stone chippings.. bark can have side effects for roses..
I hope this advice is tuned to what I think you want to do there... you should also not be afraid to ROOT PRUNE your new roses if you struggle to fit them into those smaller pots. I do it all the time.. it works.. and is nothing to worry about... I can explain with examples if you wish...
I like those big half barrels of Debs, treated wood of course.. you can grow ramblers in those.. your Pilgrim and G Jekyll will look good in them.. something to consider for later on.. best wishes, and good luck with your lovely roses... and don't let it stress you out... this can all be very easy and uncomplicated...
@Singing Gardener Oh no, pesky rabbits. Had no idea that they ate rose plants.
@“Obelixx” Thanks for clarifying. Will definitely read the instructions that come with them.
@MMflower That was quick delivery. DA website is saying deliveries are currently taking about 12 working days. Which is fine as gives me a bit more time to order the soil and plant pots.
@Marlorena Thank you so much for your comprehensive advice.
I’m glad to hear plastic pots are fine, as like you the weight will be an issue for me. A 40cm terracotta pot weighs about 18kg without any soil. So far too heavy. I just thought terracotta pot was advised due to risk of root damage to the rose plant during winter. I am in North West, England, so winters are quite cold.
With regards to pot size, a local store has the half barrels; I didn’t measure them but they looked to be 60cm wide and 40cm high. They also had planters that were 52cm high and 40cm wide.
Which of the two would be better?
Can you recommend an organic/non organic fertiliser please and also a suitable liquid feed.
I have some Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food, and also Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub Concentrated Liquid Plant food. Are they any good? And are these classes as an organic/non organic fertiliser?
I have three roses at the minute which I bought from B&Q 4 years ago. They are all in pots and they haven’t been doing too well, and I have to admit this could be mainly down to me neglecting them. I have repotted them all in the last few days and this time round ensured the graft was below soil after reading advice on these forums. Whereas previously the grafts were well above the soil. And I have put bark on them as mulch whereas previously they had none.
Please can you advise what side effects bark can have? Shall I remove the bark and replace with stones? I have no more bark left, so will buy stones for the DA roses.
Re root pruning, advice and pictures would be much appreciated as I have no idea how I would prune them. I have watched the planting videos on the DA website and didn’t see any advice on root pruning, so advice on how to do this would be great.
I want to give them a good start, so hopefully I can continue giving them the care they need, so I can enjoy their blooms as I love the look of their flowers and hopefully their smell too!
Bark (or any wood-based mulch) needs nitrogen to decompose (at least initially) and will steal it from the soil. This can be compensated by feeding. The downside of stones for me would be in future if you decide to add more soil/compost, you would need to remove the stones and then add new ones or wash the ones you have... which sounds like work I don't use mulch in pots at the moment.
I haven't responded to your additional questions because they are very in-depth and I am not that type of a gardener. I just go with it, using my intuition. As you can see in this thread, everyone does things slightly differently. We would probably agree on rough directions of what to do and what to avoid but not on the exact details. Marlorena is the greatest expert here so if you are unsure, listen to her.
Your older roses not doing well could be down to the neglect or down to the variety. Some are easier (healthier, less fussy) than others. I wish you luck with your new DAs. Please come back later in the year and post photos of your roses
@Marlorena Thank you so much for your comprehensive advice. Oh that's ok, everyone has their own advice to offer, it all adds to discussion on roses..
I’m glad to hear plastic pots are fine, as like you the weight will be an issue for me. A 40cm terracotta pot weighs about 18kg without any soil. So far too heavy. I just thought terracotta pot was advised due to risk of root damage to the rose plant during winter. I am in North West, England, so winters are quite cold. Don't worry about cold... your roses are hardy in pots to at least -20C and the rootstock is hardy to at least -30C...
With regards to pot size, a local store has the half barrels; I didn’t measure them but they looked to be 60cm wide and 40cm high. They also had planters that were 52cm high and 40cm wide.
Which of the two would be better? Either would do, depends on your own personal preference..
Can you recommend an organic/non organic fertiliser please and also a suitable liquid feed.
I have some Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food, and also Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub Concentrated Liquid Plant food. Are they any good? And are these classes as an organic/non organic fertiliser? These are inorganic and fine for your purposes... use both..
I have three roses at the minute which I bought from B&Q 4 years ago. They are all in pots and they haven’t been doing too well, and I have to admit this could be mainly down to me neglecting them. I have repotted them all in the last few days and this time round ensured the graft was below soil after reading advice on these forums. Whereas previously the grafts were well above the soil. And I have put bark on them as mulch whereas previously they had none.
Please can you advise what side effects bark can have? Shall I remove the bark and replace with stones? I have no more bark left, so will buy stones for the DA roses. As edhelka stated, bark can cause a temporary nitrogen loss... however it affects roses in the ground more because we tend to liquid feed roses in pots, so they may be less affected, but even so I prefer not to use it. I once covered my garden in bark chippings and I had poor growth on roses all summer.. grey slates can look nice, something like that.. lots to choose from really.. but I do like to use something..
Don't worry too much about the graft union.. everybody will tell you something different.. I tend to go with level or just below the surface... I try not to buy roses from cheap outlets because you don't always know what you're getting, and I just feel it's important to know.. if I'm not happy with a rose I do not get sentimental and have no compunction about tossing it in the wheelie bin... there are always better roses or other plants to display in our gardens, and I just think life is too short to put up with non-performers.... just my personal opinion there.. but unlike most people I do grow some roses only as annuals, so I'm well used to this practice...
Re root pruning, advice and pictures would be much appreciated as I have no idea how I would prune them. I have watched the planting videos on the DA website and didn’t see any advice on root pruning, so advice on how to do this would be great.
DA are selling you roses at about £20 each.. so they are not going to advise you to prune some of the roots off... they also assume you will plant in minimum 45 x 45cm pots... I will post some photos later this evening, as examples of what you can do... catch up tomorrow on this maybe...
I want to give them a good start, so hopefully I can continue giving them the care they need, so I can enjoy their blooms as I love the look of their flowers and hopefully their smell too! ..do enjoy your roses... they are not going to be at their best in the first year though, but should give you some nice blooms.. it's the future with them you will need to be thinking of later on...
..just to give an example of root pruning.. ..this is approx. where I would prune the roots on a bare root rose.. if you need to get it better placed in a pot... where the red lines are I would snip off about there..it leaves a nice small compact root system that will soon regenerate..
..this rose here below I received from DA just 6 weeks ago, bare root... I root pruned by half, as above, and you can see it's quickly developed into a really good plant ready for repotting or planting.. ...roots coming out the bottom of the pot... so you can see how a rose responds to root pruning... don't be afraid to do this if you have to...
Here are some of my lightweight pots.. no one is going to go 'ooh' and 'aah' over these.. but it's the roses I'm interested in, not the pots so much...
..this is 'Vanessa Bell' 3rd season in a resin type pot.. weather hardy and light.. approx. 45 x 45cm, a bit less internally.. it will be good in this for some time yet... beautiful foliage on this rose, lemon scented, most floriferous variety.. .. a little trick is to put a plastic pot inside a more decorative one.. this fits perfectly.. I would normally put some little lobelia around the rim, but not this year... the rose is 'Eisvogel'..[imported]… I can easily lift out this plastic pot if need be.. ...this is one of my favourite 'cheapo' pots.. cost me less than a fiver.. perfectly weather hardy... hole in middle is shaped for a potted rose waiting to be transferred.. the square shaped pot gives resistance against wind.. it's about 45 x 40 cm..
...one of the above pots planted up all winter with spring bedding.. the rose in this pot is 'Amethyst Star'.. one of the first of my 70 roses into leaf and will shortly be blooming for me..
Posts
I've planted my roses in 50cm pots. I also have a few 40cm ones where I want to plant some others with the intention to move later. Those barrels don't come cheap so can't afford to buy all at one go unfortunately.
And does it matter much if they are in plastic pots as opposed to terracotta pots? No, not at all... I use plastic pots.. the big decorative ones are too heavy for me..
What type of soil should I use? Rose, shrub & tree soil or John Innes No3? As the two soils are quite different. use a 50/50 mix.. very approximately, no need to measure it out...
Should I mix in any organic matter with the soil, such as organic farmyard manure? .. not for the first season, just use the above - keep it simple ..
Should I add any fertiliser after planting them? Your roses will have been kept in cold storage. They will be well behind. Wait until they start to leaf out then add a small handful of fertilizer. Do not use wholly Organic. Organic based/non organic is best.. you will also liquid feed through the season of course..
What is best for mulching? Stones or bark? I use stone chippings.. bark can have side effects for roses..
I hope this advice is tuned to what I think you want to do there... you should also not be afraid to ROOT PRUNE your new roses if you struggle to fit them into those smaller pots. I do it all the time.. it works.. and is nothing to worry about... I can explain with examples if you wish...
I like those big half barrels of Debs, treated wood of course.. you can grow ramblers in those.. your Pilgrim and G Jekyll will look good in them.. something to consider for later on.. best wishes, and good luck with your lovely roses... and don't let it stress you out... this can all be very easy and uncomplicated...
The downside of stones for me would be in future if you decide to add more soil/compost, you would need to remove the stones and then add new ones or wash the ones you have... which sounds like work
..this is approx. where I would prune the roots on a bare root rose.. if you need to get it better placed in a pot... where the red lines are I would snip off about there..it leaves a nice small compact root system that will soon regenerate..
..this rose here below I received from DA just 6 weeks ago, bare root... I root pruned by half, as above, and you can see it's quickly developed into a really good plant ready for repotting or planting..
...roots coming out the bottom of the pot... so you can see how a rose responds to root pruning... don't be afraid to do this if you have to...
..this is 'Vanessa Bell' 3rd season in a resin type pot.. weather hardy and light.. approx. 45 x 45cm, a bit less internally.. it will be good in this for some time yet... beautiful foliage on this rose, lemon scented, most floriferous variety..
.. a little trick is to put a plastic pot inside a more decorative one.. this fits perfectly.. I would normally put some little lobelia around the rim, but not this year... the rose is 'Eisvogel'..[imported]… I can easily lift out this plastic pot if need be..
...this is one of my favourite 'cheapo' pots.. cost me less than a fiver.. perfectly weather hardy... hole in middle is shaped for a potted rose waiting to be transferred.. the square shaped pot gives resistance against wind.. it's about 45 x 40 cm..
...one of the above pots planted up all winter with spring bedding.. the rose in this pot is 'Amethyst Star'.. one of the first of my 70 roses into leaf and will shortly be blooming for me..
some more to follow...