Help, Can I plant bare-root roses now?

Discussion in 'Rosa (roses)' started by ericpg, Oct 30, 2009.

  1. ericpg

    ericpg Member

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    I just received my bare-root roses today.
    It will be raining for the next week, except for Tuesday, according to the weather forecast.
    Is it OK to plant bare-root roses in this kind of weather?
    For how long can I keep the bare root roses in their package?
    (I live in Vancouver BC. Zone 8a)

    Thanks
     
  2. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    As long as the ground is not frozen, or frost expected soon after.

    As long as its not too soggy wet,

    If its mildish it will give the roots time to anchor properly before winter really sets in.
     
  3. 1950Greg

    1950Greg Active Member

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    Langley, B.C. Stones throw from old HBC farm.
    Some people soak bare root roses for a day or so before planting but I have never done this myself. I find if the soil is kept moist this seems to be fine. Most rose will take care of themselves. In the Vancouver area the climate is mild enough throughout the winter that roses will still be growing most of the year. When you plant roses in the fall or early spring it does give them a head start before the real growing season starts. Plant as soon as possible so the the roots can get that start. Mulch with what ever you have and cover the base of the plant really well. Leaves are abundant this time of year and steer manure is good to mix in with the leaves. All this will break down over winter and add nutriements to the soil that the plant can use in the spring. Good luck.
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Bare-rooted stock generally does not grow new roots until spring, when overwintering stem buds open and send a chemical signal to the roots. These hormones are what cause new roots to grow out of the cut ends of the old roots. Here on the coast we can usually expect that conditions will be mild enough to get away with planting bare-rooted roses in fall. However, if a brisk spell threatens be sure the tops of yours are protected by mulch, perhaps covering most of the canes until the Arctic period passes. Bare-rooting usually kills all or nearly all of the fine feeder roots, making a bare-rooted specimen almost a cutting (the difference being that the bare-rooted plant does have mature roots present).

    An estate I worked on once had a mass planting of a normally very hardy rose cultivar backfire because we agreed to receive the stock in fall - and the coldest weather of that winter came right after planting was completed, in November. I was not able to get the plants covered with mulch before everything froze up (and I did not know beforehand that the soil in some of the partitions of the bed was shallow, leaving some of the plants sitting high).

    Fall planting of hardy plants is able to take advantage of the significant elongation of existing roots that occurs at that time of the year when the specimen is planted with intact or mostly intact roots - and it is installed early enough in the season for this phase to have not passed already. As with initiation of new roots in spring the timing for this is regulated by the status of overwintering stem buds, in this case when these have matured the roots then have a flush of elongation (60% of the annual total). A plant like a drought-impacted vine maple may have a finished, budded top and stretching roots as early as August (or perhaps even sooner). So, in such a case fall planting might be in July, for all practical purposes fall being the condition of the plant rather than a calender season.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2009
  5. ericpg

    ericpg Member

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    Thanks for the replies. I will plant them asap.
     
  6. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

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    If there are an spoiled looking leaves, ie black spots or yellowing, I would be mindful to remove these now, and during the defoliation of winter set. Keep your Rose free from disease and parasites. A deep mulch is imperative especially in the event of another winter past!
     
  7. valleygardener

    valleygardener Active Member

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    Fall is a very good time to plant roses in the lower mainland of B.C. Why would mail order nurseries dispatch roses at this time of year if it wasn't good to plant now? Fall planted roses do establish throughout the winter regardless of the kind of winter weather mother nature gives us. If your site has been well prepared, then planting is a simple task. In the old days, and most advice from U.K. rose growers is to keep your bare roots moist and one of the best ways to do this is to soak them in a bucket while getting ready to plant, and taking them out of the water as you plant them - inspect the plant and prune off any damaged roots. It's also a good idea to prune cleanly about one inch off the ends of the roots - the reason for this is that apparently this will promote white feeder root growth. The other good piece of advice is to prune your rose while you have it in hand - much easier to do at this time. Leave three good strong canes the size of a pencil or larger and prune all the small stuff out. Then, prune the remaining good healthy canes down to about 4-6 inches to an outside eye. Plant the rose as recommended and hill over with soil or mulch so that only the tips of the canes are visible. The reason for pruning a new bareroot rose low is that apical dominance forces growth from the uppermost eye and by pruning the plant low (new bare roots) it causes new basal growth from the crown or very close to it. The canes you have on your new bare root will not likely be there after next season as the best case scenerio is that your plant will produce new larger canes next spring and summer. And, hopefully will renew itself yearly with new canes. Have fun and enjoy your roses! I know they will be beautiful....
     
  8. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    The failed planting was a Floribunda cultivar that was ordinarily so hardy it was being used for mass planting along German freeways - which is where the family owning the property saw it.

    Much activity before spring bud break is unlikely. The more stem and root tissue you cut off the less stored energy there is present to support new growth the following spring. Deciduous shrubs basically hibernate over the winter, like bears living off of stored fat.

    A British study revealed that non-selective hedge-like pruning of roses resulted in more flowers than the traditional selective "opening up the center" etc. More stem tissue was left after the non-selective "straight across the top", so there was more energy left for growth and production of flowers.

    Hard pruning of tops and roots during potting operations at garden centers serves their purposes by reducing growth that season, making the plants easier to manage in the sales yard. Even after being subjected to this treatment some kinds are so vigorous and large-growing that long thorny canes may soon be arching out and in the way before the stock is sold. A climbing or rambling type that might otherwise put out a 6'+ cane will still be able to generate shoots plenty long enough to make a nuisance of itself in a nursery block.

    Not all roses people buy and plant are hybrid bedding roses that amount basically to a sprouting crown - a sort of bouquet with roots - that produces comparatively short and short-lived seldom-branching canes that always flower the first year.
     
  9. valleygardener

    valleygardener Active Member

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    Ron, I'm quite sure Eric is referring to modern hybrid roses, possibly hybrid tea or floribunda. So that is what I'm referring too as well. I only give information of my own experience which has been accumulated over 30 years of growing a large garden of all types of roses. My one acre property is home to 800 cultivars. I have never ever portrayed myself as an expert, but more a little old lady that is in awe of roses, and who has grown many types of them to garner first hand knowledge of them. It is a hobby, not a business and whether you take anything I have to say literally or not does not really matter to me. However, I do know that there is an awful lot of mis-information about roses out there, and when I think that someone is serious about growing roses well, then I feel a duty to tell them of my own personal experience. Whether they take my advice or not is up to them. After all there is more than one way to do Just about everything..
     
  10. 2annbrow

    2annbrow Active Member

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    Location:
    North Bend OR US;Oregon coast, just N of Coos Bay
    It's been my experience with roses here in OR that they don't quit blooming most of the year! However, a friend in New Jersey used to use upside-down 5-gallon nursery pots over his, stuffed with loosely-packed straw, and a couple of extra layers around the bottom edges to protect the roots. He was the best rosegrower in town [Toms River, NJ].
     
  11. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    To add to VG'S message on rose delivery time.

    We can order in the summer for autumn delivery. There is a time for all plant deliveries..the best times for the plants lol.
     

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