How to Treat Roses on Arrival

If you’re wondering what to do after your roses have arrived, or you’ve taken them home after visiting us at our nursery or show. Then the below guide will talk you through the very first steps of what to do with your new roses when you get them home.

Planting Bareroot Roses

Bareroot roses are dormant or semi dormant plants supplied between November on March, plants before final packing and dispatch are root dipped in water and shrink wrapped in recyclable plastic. Orders delivered between November and February ideally need planting as soon as conditions allow but they can be stored in the packaging supplied for up to 3 weeks if kept somewhere cool (above freezing) and draft free area if needed before planting. Orders supplied in March need planting as soon as received. Always ensure roots remain moist whilst being stored, you can also heal in your roses into a temporary hole in the garden as an alternative to storing in the bag supplied. 

If you’ve ordered more than 1 bareroot rose, you will find them normally in one single wrapped bundle, any remaining leaves on the rose plants supplied will go brown and fall off, quickly budding up and re-shooting soon after.

Read Our Planting Into Garden Borders Guide  Read Our Planting Roses into Containers Guide

Planting Potted Roses

Potted Roses are supplied all through the year and can be planted at any time providing they are fully rooted into the compost and  the planting weather is not freezing and the soil conditions in your garden are not too wet. 

When you receive your order of potted roses, unpack immediately, removing plastic bag and any gift wrap material from the pot, place the pot and rose as supplied outside and give a thorough water and leave on the ground  in a semi-sunny position for 24 hours to settle and fully recover from the delivery.

Potted roses supplied from November to June may well have been recently potted when supplied and are not yet rooted or fully rooted into the compost when supplied, if this is the case, then the plants are likely to have no leaves on them or only just starting to shoot and the pot and rose will have a warning sticker and label on it which strongly advises you to simply leave the rose in its original pot until in full leaf and fully rooted before planting into its final position in late Spring or early summer.

Keep potted roses outside and water regularly, keeping the compost moist at all times until they are fully rooted and ready for planting. Protect potted roses from severe spells of winter weather by covering over with fleece or bubble wrap short time during prolonged day and night freezing weather or move to a cold greenhouse or cool shed or garage moving back outside once normal winter weather returns (normal night frosts to -5C will not be a problem).