The time for planting roses in spring varies according to the section of the country in which you live.
In the middle Atlantic and New England States, this should be done just as soon as the ground can be worked even though heavy killing frosts may follow directly after planting.
These do no harm to good two-year, field-grown, dormant roses that are properly planted.
Biggest Mistakes In Planting Roses
One of the biggest mistakes in planting roses is to wait until the weather “warms up,” when several weeks of mild days are forecast.
Nurserymen feel that a great percentage of losses are due to late spring planting.
Rose planting time should begin when the maple leaf buds begin to swell and break.
This varies over the country as follows. In the New England States, this is from early to mid-April.
Good Planting Time For Roses
Here in the New York area, we can usually begin planting roses soon after the middle of March when the ground begins to thaw out.
In the Philadelphia to Washington area, early March is often a good planting time. April is the time to plant in the Midwest-Chicago area.
In the middle south, North Carolina, South Carolina, etc., plant in February. In the far South, December and January is the right time.
Late January and February are right for the Southwest and January is good for California.
Of course, there are sometimes abnormal spring seasons but as with everything else in gardening, we can speak only in relative terms and then apply the common sense that most gardeners have.
So far we have been talking about the ideal time for spring rose planting.
Late-Planted Roses
Of course, nowadays, horticulturists are equipped with modern storage facilities to keep roses dormant for a long period so that if it does not suit the gardener to plant roses in March, he can still do so in May.
There is a question, though, whether these late-planted roses, even though they come from ideal storage plants and are in dormant condition when received.
It will never become sufficiently established to produce the number of rose blooms you have a right to expect in the first year.
The late planter has increasingly come to depend upon started roses in pots from local horticulturists.
There are none finer to fill the vacancies after it is too late to plant good dormant plants.
Potted Roses
The potted roses are the regular two-year No. 1 plants that were potted in early winter, carried over in the nurseryman’s cold frames until spring, and brought right out into the open.
Some people prefer these tailor-made plants already growing and probably coming into the bud.
The new rose gardener is more impatient. Perhaps that is why the “started” growing rose is so much in demand.
Proper Timing For Roses
The experienced rose gardener still does his spring planting early and enjoys the long expectancy period before blooming.
This may be why the proportion of dormant plants sold every spring constitutes the bulk of the roses planted. Part of the success of rose growing depends upon proper timing.
The earlier you plant roses during the time which is right for your section of the country, the better chance of having healthy, thriving plants that will give you the early and consistent bloom every rose grower desires.
44659 by Robert W. Eisenbrown