Always keep the rose roots moist before you plant the bush.
Dig a hole large enough that the roots of the rosebush can stretch to their full length. Rose roots don’t like to be cramped.
Trim away any broken, damaged or dead roots before planting.
Gently spread the roots out in the hole.
Plant the rose bush so the graft knob is one inch below the ground if you live in a four-season climate and with the graft knob one inch above the ground if you live in a more temperate climate.
Tamp the soil down on the roots within three inches of the ground surface.
Water well and allow the water to soak into the tamped down soil.
Add soil to cover the roots even with the ground.
Prune the rose branches back to only six inches long, using an angled cut. Leave one-half inch of stem above any bud formation.
Treat the ends of the cut branches with wound compound to add in healing.
Before winter sets in, pile mulch or straw over the roots of the bush, approximately one foot in depth.
In early spring, remove mulch or straw after the chance of frost has passed.
Rose Care
Pruning
Never prune rosebushes in winter. Wait until new growth appears in the spring. Then, prune back all winter-kill and dead branches.
Fertilizer
Fertilize rosebushes twice during the growing season. The first fertilizer should be applied in the spring soon after the first growth appears. Fertilizer should be applied again in mid-season. Never fertilize roses in the fall if you live in a four-season climate.
Winter Protection
In the fall, cover rosebush roots and base with one foot of compost or straw. You can cover the protective blanket with burlap or plastic, if desired, or if temperatures dip five degrees or more below the freezing point.
Thinning Rosebushes
Always cut out scraggly shoots or those that grow very long in order to keep your rosebushes in optimum health. Be sure to dead-head in order to keep roses blooming throughout the entire summer. To encourage new growth trim branches which are dead or diseased.