Tutorial: Replanting roses in pots

TUTORIAL: REPLANTING ROSES IN POTS AFTER THREE OR FOUR YEARS

Many questions regarding this subject. Let me immediately say this: It's very easy to do so keep calm and don't worry.

If you're gonna replant your rose in pot after a couple of years it's because the potting compost in your pot has become worn out. The level of soil has decreased and when you push into the soil with your fingers you feel it's hard and filled with roots. This means your rose has used all the space in your pot and the soil has been drained from nutrients. So what to do?

We do this when your rose is dormant so let's say in late Autumn. I don't give a specific month because some members are in the southern hemisphere, let's say our Aussie friends.

So in late Autumn you prune all the branches back to 25 or 30 cm. Now grab the two biggest branches and pull while keeping the pot down. Ask you partner to give you a hand. Use rose gloves 🧤 at any time. When you pull you'll see that the rose comes out entirely with her root ball. Now you see why it's time to repot the rose. It has become one big ball of roots and very little soil. Now gently break up the ball with your hands so all roots are becoming loose. Don't panic if smaller roots break when doing this. So now you have a big amount of loose roots. Some will be longer than others. Take your sécateurs and prune the roots at the same length. Look at the length of your branches: Your roots should be equally long as your branches but preferably a bit longer. So if your branches are 30 cm Long you prune the roots also to this length or just a bit less. There has to be balance between roots and branches.

Now make the roots wet with water and coat them with Mycorhizza spores. If you don't use mycorrhiza skip this step.

Take your pot or a bigger one and put a shard on the drainage hole to ensure good drainage.

Fill the pot for 1/3 with fresh new non peat potting compost. Don't use used potting soil!

Take your rose and put her in the middle of your pot and spread the roots evenly in all directions. Now hold her steady with one hand and fill up the rest of the pot with your other hand. When the pot is filled you pull the rose a bit up to ensure there arent any air pockets. Look at the graft! It has to be covered with a few cm of soil.

Now mulch the top soil with leaf compost or dried cow manure or whatever organic material you have. And important: Give the rose a good soak! So plenty of water. Et voilà, your rose is ready for another three or four years.

Tutorial on planting bare root roses

Tutorial planting bare root roses 

Most importantly: Buy proven good roses from a good nursery which specializes in roses. So no roses from Walmart or Aldi or whatever.

What do we also need?

Mycorhizza fungi (several brands but buy one especially for roses)

Organic manure +Compost mix. Available online, also in the States, Britain and Australia

For France, Belgium and Holland: Or brun or Secret Vert. This, together with the mycorrhiza is really really necessary. Buy enough of it.

A good pair of sécateurs or clippers

Rock dust or Lava dust or lavameel

You can plant from November till the end of March but always do it in mild weather with no frost predicted.

The evening before planting you stick the roots of your roses in a bucket of water and let them soak overnight.

The day of planting we dig out a spacious hole. Throw the garden soil in a wheelbarrow. Take a rose and if needed you prune away broken branches or too long ones. Also we prune broken roots. Now we put the roots in the hole and we spread the roots out. Do the roots have space enough? Is it too deep? The right dept is when the graft comes at ground level. If this all is the case you look at your soil in the wheelbarrow. Add approximately 3 big handfuls of compost or farm manure and mix it good. Also add a good 200 grams of rock dust. Now you have top notch soil to fill up the hole with.

Make the roots of your rose wet again and treat the roots with mycorrhiza, you need to coat them with it. Also spread a handful of mycorrhiza in the planting hole. Take the rose and place it in the hole. Spread out the roots in every direction and start filling up the hole with your soil mix. Hold your rose while you fill it up. Once your hole is filled up you gently pull the rose a bit up. Now the graft must be right below or at ground level. Only now you press the soil down gently with your foot.

Water the rose in thoroughly and immediately. Once the water is drained away into the soil you spread a thick layer of manure/compost around the foot of the rose. Three inches or 7 cm isn't too much, more is always better in this case. So a good amount of compost mulch. 

And that's it! You repeat this for every rose you plant. I can't stress enough how important it is to plant your roses in the right way. It will improve succes rate immensely.

DON'T FORGET: Manure/compost ISN'T FERTILIZER! It's pure organic humus and it's the foundation of good roses. You can't burn your roses with it even if you give them a meter of it! So don't be a Scrooge, give plenty, it will reward you.

PS: In colder climates with severe frost you can plant the graft deeper to protect it from freezing. I would suggest two inches (6 cm) below groundlevel. Remember that we also mulch with a thick layer of manure/compost and this already is a protection.

Tutorial on growing roses in pots

TUTORIAL GROWING ROSES IN POTS

Growing roses in pots has long been neglected by experts and nurseries. Even if they addressed it they said it was difficult and wouldn't give the wanted results. The truth is they didn't no SHIT about growing roses in pots so they gave their opinion on something they hadn't tried.

Thanks to the rose revolution caused by David Austin and other European breeders the option to plant roses in pots became hot! Why? Because the David Austin roses and other old fashioned roses with strong fragrance are ideal to be used in pots. In fact nearly all roses can grow into good sized pots. People want their rose jewels as close as possible to admire their beauty and fragrance and many consumers don't have gardens but only a patio or a terrace. Growing roses in pots are a real outcome for many many rose lovers worldwide.

I have a friend who's growing all kinds of roses in pots and she says that ANY KIND OF ROSE can be grown in pot. Especially climbers won't reach their full potential but you can achieve great results with good compost, fertilizer and watering 

What kind of pot do I need? Well every material has its pros and cons. Terracotta is very sjiek and roses can breath trough it and it's a natural product. On the negative side: They are rather expensive, heavy and can get frost damage.

Plastic or polyester or polyrasin pots are cheaper, lightweight and don't get frost damage and they hold water better than terracotta but sometimes they really look tacky. So the choice is personal and depending on your budget.

SIZE: Roses need space, especially their roots must be able to go deep. So a tall pot is always better than a wide one. If you buy a container rose (that comes in a plastic pot) make sure you plant it in a pot that's three times the size of the pot the rose is bought in. Always keep in mind: Bigger is better and hight is more important than wide. Remember that your rose will grow three years in that pot so choose wisely.

For bare root roses it's the same, the hight of the pot is more important. A 50 cm pot in diameter is a good choice and more is better.

Planting bare root roses in pots: Always use a good, organic potting compost without peat. Don't be a cheapskate, good quality potting compost will give a much better result. If you find potting compost especially for roses you can use this.

So now we have our roses, our potting compost and our pots. Now we soak the roots of our bare root roses in a bucket of rainwater. Best to do is overnight but at least 6 hours. Your roses have been transported and the roots slowly dry out in the process. Soaking them will allow the plant to take up plenty of moisture.

If you are using Mycorhizza spores it's time to grab them. To ensure good drainage we put some terracotta shards on top of the drainage hole so it can't get blocked. Fill your pot for 1/3 with the compost. Take your rose out of the bucket of water and coat the entire roots with the dry mycorrhiza agent. If you have broken roots, prune them with your sharp sécateur.

Now put the Mycorhizza coated rose roots into your pot and spread the roots. Slowly add potting compost till the pot is filled with it. Now gently grab a few big branches and pull the plant a bit up until the graft is at ground level or just beneath it. Now press down the surrounding soil with your hands so the rose sits firmly in the pot. Immediately water your rose until the pot is drenched and water is coming out at the bottom. Mulch the pot with dried cow manure or leaf compost or an organic mulch of your own choosing. If you plant your roses in March you can give the rose a handful of organic rose fertilizer on top of the mulch. If you plant the roses in Autumn or winter you don't give fertilizer yet. We start with giving fertilizer in March. Roses are extremely heavy feeders and the fertilizer that's already added to the potting compost in the factory isn't enough for roses. Now put your pot on the spot of your choosing but bear in mind that more sun means more flowers.

I recommend to feed your roses starting from March till August. Once a month a handful of fertilizer and each week a gift with liquid tomato fertilizer. In summer give your rose plenty of water. In hot weather even daily. Don't let the pot dry out. Also don't put anything underneath your pot to hold water. Roses HATE wet feet so just don't.

If you follow these steps your roses in pot will give you much pleasure for the next three years.