Do You Want a Texas Rose Garden?
In the Texas Gulf Coast the best time to plant roses is in mid to late February. It may seem a little cold for planting roses but bear in mind that by March 1st the sun comes out and they will be coming out of dormancy. Container roses are also usually planted as soon as they are available for the same reason. If the roses were held in artificially warm conditions such as in a greenhouse, they may be quite tender. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and be sure to cover them if a very cold night with frost threatens. Ordinarily they would be fine without such protection, but if they have a lot of tender new growth it would be a wise thing to do.
This also applies when you want to transplant roses in late winter. You want to allow the roots time to reestablish before the stress of the summer heat. If you have moved from a northern climate, you will discover many new plants that thrive here in the south and you might prefer to start with a new selection as you are learning about our short winters and long summers.
Here in the south you need not worry a great deal about frozen soil. When we get a freeze, with in hours our soil is back to normal. Since this is the case, go ahead and plant your roses in February. You want to dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots without cramping and place a small mound of soil on the bottom of the hole. Drape the roots over the mound so they hang naturally and check to make sure the graft (bud) union on the main stem will be a few inches below ground level when you’ve filled in the hole. Tamp the soil around the roots, then water your newly planted rose to help it settle into its new home.
If you want to transplant rose bushes, after preparing the new bed, water th
e rose bushes well the day before. Be sure and dig up as large of a root ball as possible therefore you may need help moving the shrub. Replant immediately at the same depth as it grew before. Water it well, then mulch with several inches of organic mulch such as shredded bark. Water as needed the way you would a new rose for at least a year, trying to keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.
Category: Home Improvement, Outdoor
