Growing Roses

[amadi]

Does anybody know anything about growing roses from bare starters? Costco is selling rose starters, which look like plain wood roots with nothing green, no blossoms, nothing, but apparently if you plant them, they take root and they grow. They're not high priced and are probably nothing special but the price is such that it's worth the risk to give it a try.

Has anyone ever done this or have basic info about what sorts of soil conditions, temperature concerns, feeding/fertilizing issues and whatnot I'd need to know before jumping into planting one of these starters and calling myself a rose grower?

Comments

[feroxargentea]

There is no problem with planting bare-root roses as such - I have grown most of mine that way, as it's the cheapest easiest way to get a wide choice of roses by mail-order - but only as long as they are healthy, properly labelled grafted cultivars, recently dug, well-wrapped, never allowed to dry out and planted into suitable soil straight away (and where I live it's really too late in the year to be planting bare-root, though maybe not where you are). Cheap plants from bargain stores may not tick all these boxes.

If they're dormant plants, the soil temperature doesn't matter as long as it's not frozen or flooded. Good rich well-drained fertile soil, for preference - if you don't have that, add compost and slow-release fertiliser. Most cultivars do best with at least partial sun.

[amadi]

Recently dug is a concern. I'm pretty sure what I'd buy at Costco wouldn't meet that criterion.

I think I've got to head to a local garden center and talk to someone who knows what plants work locally and what's good to plant right now.

Plus at a garden center, maybe I could get something purple!