How to plant a bare-root rose

Bare root roses are available to buy in autumn and winter and are more economical than planting pot-grown roses, and there's a much wider variety of bare rooted roses to choose from than if buying pot-grown plants. Unlike potted plants, a bare-root rose has naked roots with no soil. You plant them when dormant and, as soon as temperatures increase again in spring, they start into growth quickly and strongly.

You Will Need

• Bare-root rose
• Spade
• Fork
• Bamboo cane
• Slow-release granular fertiliser

Step 1

Dig out a hole in the soil to the depth of a garden spade and the same width. Put the soil to one side of the hole.

Step 2

Fork the base of the hole and add half a handful of granular fertiliser, such as pelleted chicken manure. Lightly firm the base of the hole with your foot.

Step 3

Set the bare-root rose in position and use a bamboo cane placed across the top of the hole to judge the final soil level around the plant. Aim to set the base of the stems just slightly below this level.

Step 4

Add a spadeful of compost to the soil dug out of the hole and mix it together. Use this to fill in around the roots of the rose, firming in layers with the heel of your foot.

Step 5

When the hole is full, add a mulch of well-rotted compost to the surface of the soil to help conserve moisture. Water the rose well.

Don't plant during frosty weather as intense cold can kill the roots of the rose. Keep bare-root plants in a frost-free shed until daytime temperatures are above freezing.