Planting roses and caring for them requires a little effort, but it is definitely worth it once you see those beautiful, fragrant blooms! Before you plant your rose bush, choose a location that offers about 4 – 5 hours of sunlight per day. This is critical because roses need a lot of sunlight. Roses also require a lot of water and don’t like soggy ground, so pick a spot that will have great drainage. After you have picked the perfect, sunny spot, it is time to start planting!

Step One – Put on your garden gloves because this is going to be a dirty and prickly job. Dig a hole that is a few inches larger than the size of rootball on all sides. This will allow you to fill hole with loose dirt and a dirt mix rich in nutrients.

Step Two – Carefully remove the plant from the temporary container and gently loosen up the rootball by massaging it in your hand. Once the rootball has been loosened, gently place it on top of good drainage soil. The top of the rootball should be level with the ground and the bud union should be above ground.

Step Three – Fill in the surrounding hole with a good dirt mix that is rich in nutrients. A good dirt mix should consist of 2/3 existing soil, and 1/3 peat moss, pine bark compost or other type of humus soil conditioner. Lightly pat down the dirt mix around the root ball to remove any air pockets.

Step Four – Create a soil basin in a circle around the planting to help keep the moisture in around the top. Fill in the basin with mulch to help retain water. Thoroughly soak the basin with water to help keep the mulch moist. This will need to be done once a week after planting the rose bush.

Step Five – Make sure that the soil is well mulched and fertilize the rose bush once a month with Rose-Tone 4-3-2 Organic Fertilizer for extra nutrients that roses need. Remove dead flowers and leaves as needed to keep your rose bush healthy.

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