Roses are particularly suitable for autumn planting. They are very productive and you can pay a quarter of the price for flowers that you would charge in the spring. You've probably noticed that garden centers have lots of plants on sale in the fall. Many gardeners assume that this means it is not a good time of year for planting and that is why stores are trying to get rid of their inventory. But that's not true! Autumn is actually the perfect planting time for many perennials. The weather is mild, the roses have a head start on the next growing season, and more rain is usually in the forecast. Are you convinced? Below you will learn how to plant roses in autumn.
When should you plant roses in autumn?
Don't put your plants in the ground until a few days before the first expected frost.Your roseswill then no longer have time to settle in and establish themselves before the harsh winter weather sets in. The right time to plant is about six weeks before the first predicted frost in the fall. This gives the plants time to put down roots so that they can survive the winter well and sprout in the spring. But don't plant too early. While your rose has a good chance of surviving, planting it in the heat of late summer puts it at risk of dying.
Steps for fall planting in the garden
You can certainly plant live roses in the fall, but first you should prepare the garden for your new plant. How to plant roses correctly –follow our instructions:
- Prepare the planting hole as you would in the spring. This means you have to choose the right spot first before doing anything else. Remember that the current light level in your chosen location may be different in spring and summer than in fall.
- Then find out if you need to do anything to your soil. If you have heavy clay or sandy soil, you will need to incorporate lots of well-rotted compost to improve drainage and water retention.
- Once you've chosen the spot and amended the soil, dig the hole about twice as wide and a little deeper than the container the rose came in. Mix a pile of well-rotted compost into the removed soil. Fill the hole with water and wait for it to drain. This should take about an hour or less. Add some of the removed soil and compost mix to the bottom of the hole so your plant sits at the correct height.
- Create a small cone at the bottom of the hole to give the roots something to sit on and to direct root growth in the right direction. Gently spread the roots and place the plant in the hole. Be sure to spread the roots across the cone you made so they grow downward rather than outward.
- Fill the soil and compost mixture around the roots. Water the soil to firm it up and add more soil to level the hole if necessary.
Accessories you need:
- A large pot (or many large pots)
- Earth
- Seeds/rose plants
- Fertilizer, compost, manure
- Shovel/spade
- Watering can/hose
- Gardening gloves
- Choose
- Bone meal/flower fertilizer
- Supports or trellises (if you are planting climbing roses)
Now that you have everything prepared, you can start planting:
- The first thing you should do is make sure you have the right pot size for your plant. The larger the pot, the more room the plant's roots have to grow. You should also make sure that the pot has good drainage, meaning that it has enough holes in the bottom.
- Next, it's time to prepare the soil for your plant. Your roses need 1/3 high-quality commercial potting soil, 1/3 garden compost and 1/3 composted manure to ensure your plant gets everything it needs. At this point you should decide whether or not your plant needs blood meal or bone meal; this ingredient gives your roses a boost of nitrogen. Don't over-fertilize, but remember that it's important.
- Fillyour flower pot2/3 with your potting mix and make a small hole in the soil to place your rose plant in. Be sure to gently loosen the plant's roots before placing it about 2 to 3 centimeters deep in the soil. Cover the roots and tamp down the soil around the plant.
- Now it's time to water your roses once you've planted them. Water slowly so you can see the water being absorbed into the soil. Water until the soil is consistently moist, as it is important that the roots get water. If you remember to fertilize your roses every two weeks and stop fertilizing about eight weeks before the first frost, your roses will grow into lush bushes within a few months.
Important care tips for the new plants
Cut the plant back by a third after placing it in the ground. You don't want flowers or hips to deplete the plant's energy. You should also cut back dead or yellow foliage and stems. Plants that have been sitting in a garden center all summer may have a few dead parts, but as long as the plants look healthy overall, you can plant roses in the fall and not have to worry.
Although fall tends to be rainier than summer in most regions, you should still keep an eye on soil moisture. You don't need to water as much as you would in the summer, but you still don't want your roses to dry out. When nature doesn't cooperate, give upyour rosesWater whenever the top inch of soil feels dry.
Do not fertilize your new plant. You don't want to encourage them to grow. Instead, it should settle in, establish itself and prepare for the rest phase. Put a lot of mulch around your rose. This will protect it during the cold season. Use several inches of natural mulch such as straw, bark, or well-rotted manure and mound it up to a third of the rose bushes. Remove them in spring when the ground has warmed. If the shrub you have planted is particularly large or the branches are far apart, you can support the branches with twine.
