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| The hole does not need to be this big, but planting on a soil pyramid is a good idea. I pack sod around the plant, to hold the roots in place. Sod rots into compost. Canes are not brilliant green, but a light green. The roots can be pruned to make the plant fit. |
I am 100% again on bare root rose starts. When I troll the discussion boards about roses, many comments come through about roses not breaking dormancy. Bare root roses are sent asleep. They may have ghost leaves, especially if the trip was long. The real sign of life is the first red leaf that pops out of the cane.
Immersing the bare root roses in rainwater is the best start. I have seen 24 hour soaking listed on directions, but I believe several hours of immersion are enough.
Heavy pruning of the canes upon planting is another good idea. The roses that received the double treatment of immersion and cane pruning were the first to leaf out. These early birds were also the worst looking upon arrival from California.
I had a few roses that did not want to leaf out - to use a personification. There are two methods to change this, and they are the same things needed to get them going in the first place:
- Rainwater
- Cane pruning
Before the latest deluge I was visiting those roses daily with a pitcher of rainwater and pruning shears. I look for brown canes or brown tips on canes - never a good sign. Those canes will feel like old twigs when cut. The novice is slow to cut those canes, but that is exactly what they need. Nothing will grow on dead wood. The green growth will not restart on the other side of dead wood.
If the canes look good, I take off about an inch of non-growth from one or more canes. Once the first red leaf comes out, I stop the emergency pruning.
Rainwater, poured over mulched plants, is the best medicine, but when watering with a hose, give all the canes a fine spray shower. Strong winds dry out canes, and a soaker hose at the base is not enough to make them happy.
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| David Austin roses are especially beautiful. |