Tools and Materials:
• Bare-root rose plant
• Measuring tape
• Shovel or spade
• Wheelbarrow or tarp
• Soil amendments, see text
• Water source, hose or bucket
• Organic mulch, such as shredded bark.
Choose the planting site: Roses need at least 6 hours of direct sun each day, although some afternoon shade is best in hot climates. Plant them in a spot where air can circulate and dry their leaves soon after a rain, and give them fertile soil that drains quickly.
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Determine the depth to plant: Most rose plants consist of two parts: the rootstock and the flowering canes. The bulge where the parts join, called the graft union, gets planted just at or below ground level, depending on your climate. Where winter temperatures drop to -10F or colder, plant the graft union 4 to 6 inches deep. In warmer climates, place it just at or slightly above the soil surface.
Dig the hole: Keep the roots cool and moist while you dig the planting hole. The hole should be deep enough to set the graft union at the proper depth and at least wide enough to allow the roots to extend without bending. Put the removed soil in a wheelbarrow or on a tarp.
Amend the soil: Very sandy or heavy clay soils benefit from the addition of organic material. Mix the soil from the planting hole with 25 percent compost and 25 percent composted bark plus a few handfuls of composted manure. Mix well. Partially fill the hole with the soil mix, making a cone or mound in the center over which to drape the roots.
Set the rose in the hole: Adjust the height of the cone so that the graft union is at the right level, as determined using the guidelines above. Spread the roots evenly around the cone.
Backfill and water: Holding the rose at the right planting depth, fill the hole with soil, working it carefully around the roots. When the hole is nearly full, water thoroughly to settle the soil. Finish filling the hole and create a low ring of soil around the perimeter of the hole. Water again. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch in a circle around the plant, taking care to keep the mulch 3 to 4 inches away from the canes. Water as necessary to keep the soil evenly moist until the rose resumes vigorous growth.
| Here are some great classic roses
you can grow in your yard.
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| Rosa Rugosa
Alba Rose 
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Chrysler Imperial Hybrid
Tea Rose
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Double Delight
Bush Rose
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| Mr. Lincoln Hybrid
Tea Rose
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Peace Hybrid
Tea Rose
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The Fairy
Shrub Rose
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Tips: After your roses become dormant in the fall, protect them from severe freezing weather by piling a mound of soil over the canes. Lay down climbing rose canes and cover them, too. Buy non-grafted or “own-root” roses if you live where temperatures drop to -20°F or colder. These roses can often grow back from their roots if their tops die from winter cold.
Credit: National Gardening Association
