Roses bushes produce one of the most beautiful and popular flowers on Earth. Everyone who wants a flower garden will surely think of planting a rose bush in the garden.
If you want to grow rose bushes, go ahead, as roses are easy to grow. You only need to know when to plant them.
When is the best time to plant rose bushes?
The best time to plant rose bushes is spring when the growing season starts. Aside from spring, you can grow your rose bushes in summer and fall as long as you carefully follow the instructions.
Why is spring the best season to plant rose bushes? How can you grow your roses in other seasons? Continue reading.
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The Best Time to Plant Rose Bushes
Spring is a colorful season as you can witness so many beautiful plants leafing out and blooming. Even though some plants wait until summer before they produce flowers, they start their growing season in spring with often vibrant new leaves.
Just like other plants, roses start growing in spring, so if you want to give your roses a complete growing cycle in the year, plant them in spring.
Continue reading to learn why you should plant your rose bushes in spring.
Why You Should Plant Your Roses in Spring
Here are some reasons you should grow your roses in spring.
1. Your Roses Have Enough Time to Adapt to the Soil before Fall
One noticeable feature of spring is that the soil starts to warm up.
The soil was previously very cold because of winter, making it unsuitable for growing roses and other plants. This means that you have to wait until spring before you start growing your roses.
Also, starting your roses in spring will help them adjust to the gradual changes in the soil temperature as the soil temperature gradually increases from early spring (i.e., after winter) to late spring (i.e., before summer).
Your plants will thank you later on for planting them in spring.
2. You Get to Enjoy Their Bloom
So long as your roses are mature enough, they should bloom in early or midsummer. Some roses wait until early fall before they bloom.
The point is that your roses cannot produce flowers at the right time if you do not plant them when you should.
If you want to see beautiful flowers in summer, start the bushes in spring.
Remember that aside from the season, the variety of your rose plant also affects the bloom period.
3. The Heat of Summer Will Not Overstress Your Roses
Remember that you cannot start your roses in winter because of the low temperatures of the soil.
Even though the high soil temperature in summer is tolerable for roses, it can stress the plants if they are not used to it. This is why you should plant your rose bushes before summer so that they can get used to the changing soil temperature.
Transplanting your rose bushes into warm summer soil can make the plants weak until they adapt to the soil, so ensure that you start your roses at least two or three weeks before summer.
4. Bare-root Roses Start Growing in Spring
Bare-root roses are the dormant forms of rose bushes that you can plant. These roots will start growing in spring whether you plant them or not, so you need to plant them when (or before) you notice signs of growth so that they do not die or rot.
You can start them in early or mid-spring.
You may not quickly get your bare-root roses to bloom as they need a lot of time to grow and mature, but one advantage of growing bare-root roses is that they are very hardy.
5. Spring is Simply the Best Season to Start Various Plants
This is just a general tip for this season: spring’s arrival (and its equivalent in regions without it) is a sign to farmers and gardeners all over the world that it is time to start planting.
Your roses are well-suited to grow in spring, so starting them in spring is the right thing to do.
Now you know why you should start your roses in spring. Aside from spring, which other seasons can you plant your rose bushes?
Other Seasons to Plant Rose Bushes
Here are some other suitable times to plant your rose bushes:
- Late winter: You can start your bare-root roses in late winter so long as the last frost date has passed. You can start your rose bushes in pots indoors if you like.
- Summer: If you want to start your rose bushes in summer, be sure to grow them in a shaded place without the hot afternoon sun.
- Early fall: It is not as recommended to start roses in the fall because of the approaching winter. Well, you can grow them in containers and take the young plants indoors when winter arrives.
Now you know when you can grow your rose bushes. Continue reading for some valuable tips for growing rose bushes.
Useful Tips for Planting Rose Bushes According to the Time of Year
Here are some tips to help you.
1. Take Note of Your USDA Hardiness Zone
Your USDA hardiness zone is the first factor you should consider before selecting the rose variety you will grow and the appropriate time to grow it.
According to the USDA hardiness zone of your area, here are the suitable periods to start your rose bushes:
- Zones 3 to 5: You can start planting your roses by May 15.
- Zones 6 to 7: Start your roses in mid-April.
- Zone 8: You should start your roses at the end of March.
- Zones 9 to 11: If you live in these zones, start your rose bushes as early as mid-January.
- Zones 1, 2, and 12: Many rose varieties will not grow in these zones, so check a local gardening store for the right variety and the best time to grow your roses.
Remember to check your USDA hardiness zone first.
2. Take Note of Your Rose Bush Variety
There are many types of roses, but they are grouped according to some qualities.
Here are the various groups of rose varieties:
- Hybrid tea: These are the most common varieties because of their large flowers on straight stalks.
- Polyanthas: These dwarf rose bushes produce clusters of miniature roses.
- Floribunda: These are a cross between hybrid teas and polyanthas.
- Grandifloras: This group of rose varieties produces flowers on long stems.
- Old roses: These are rose varieties are were developed before the year 1867.
- Wild roses: Any rose variety that grows naturally across the world.
The right variety to grow is ultimately your choice.
3. Plant Potted Rose Bushes
Growing plants in pots may be pretty, but one extra advantage is that you can easily manipulate the soil temperature in pots.
You can transfer the pots to a warm spot so that the soil will become warmer for the roots of your rose bushes.
You can start your potted roses as early as late winter. Make sure you use potting soil or mix instead of regular garden soil.
4. Plant Bare-root Roses
Bare-root roses are hardy and suitable for many types of soil. Just make sure you do not wait until summer before you grow them, as they start growing in spring.
You can even start bare-root roses in late winter (after the last frost date) because they will still be dormant.
5. Start Your Roses Indoors
If you want your roses to bloom early, you need to start them early.
An excellent way to quickly start your roses is to start them indoors where the temperature is just right. Make sure to grow them near a window for a source of light.
You can also support the growth of your roses with artificial lights.
Continue reading for the growth requirements of roses as well as other tips.
Other Useful Tips and Requirements for Growing Rose Bushes
Take note of the following growth requirements of rose bushes.
- Temperature requirements: Grow your rose bushes between 60°F and 70°F.
- Humidity requirements: You should make sure that your roses grow in a place with high humidity (around 65 percent).
- Water requirements: Water your roses so that the substrate is evenly moist. Do not wait until the soil becomes completely dry before you water your roses.
- Lighting requirements: So long as your bushes have more than four hours of direct sunlight daily, they will grow just fine. Protect them from the hot summer sun.
- Soil and nutrient requirements: The rose soil pH should be 6.5 to 6.8. Fertilize your roses regularly with organic fertilizer or any store-bought fertilizer made for rose plants.
- Pruning your roses: You can prune the plants as regularly as you want. Make sure that you use sterilized pruners and wear gloves for pruning roses.
- Repotting your roses: If you are growing potted roses, repot them as soon as they are root-bound.
Now you are ready to grow some rose bushes!
Final Thoughts
The growing season of rose bushes starts in spring, so spring is the best time to plant rose bushes. Make sure that you grow your roses in the right conditions, and your plants should produce beautiful flowers when they mature.