How to Plant Roses in Northwest Arkansas

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• Choose a planting location that receives at least six hours of sun every day and that provides the rose at least 1 foot of clearance around it and over it. The hot summers in Northwest Arkansas present ideal conditions for certain fungal diseases, especially powdery mildew (Podosphaera spp.). Providing adequate air circulation around and through the rose bush discourages these pathogens.

Planting in Raised Beds

• Some rosarians swear by the use of raised beds to grow roses. Raised beds help eliminate drainage problems, either too fast, such as with the sandy soils of Fayetteville, or heavy clay soil. To determine if your roses might benefit from planting in raised beds, dig a 12-inch deep hole and fill it with water. If the water takes less than one hour to drain, your soil is fine and you can plant in the garden. If the soil takes longer to drain, consider a raised bed. Fill the raised bed with a mixture of 1/3 sand, 1/3 compost or manure and 1/3 original soil. Allow the new soil to age for two to three weeks, turning it with a garden fork twice a week.

Planting Bareroot Roses

• Hydrate the bareroot rose's roots well before planting. This is easily done by placing the plant in a bucket filled with water and letting it sit for an hour or two. Start with a big hole, 15 inches wide and 18 to 24 inches deep. You may need to add or remove soil later to get the rose planted to the proper depth. Use some of the excavated soil to build a mound at the bottom of the hole. Set the roots on top of the mound and spread them around the circumference. The roots should just barely touch the soil at the bottom of the hole. You'll also need to ensure that the bud union is either level with the soil or 1 inch beneath the surface. The bud union is located at the lower portion of the rose’s main cane – a swollen area where it was grafted onto root stock. Fill the hole halfway with soil and then fill it with water. As the water drains, it removes air pockets around the roots. Then fill the hole with soil.

Planting Container Roses

• The rose purchased in a container is easier to plant. The planting hole should be the same depth as the pot in which it is growing and twice as wide. Before backfilling the hole, mix three shovelfuls of compost or manure and 3 ounces of superphosphate fertilizer into the excavated soil. Mix it well so the fertilizer doesn't burn the roots.

Considerations

• After planting both the bareroot and the container-grown rose, mound up 4 to 6 inches of soil around the canes. This prevents them from withering while the rose becomes established. When you see new growth, remove the soil. If you are planting more than one rose in your Northwest Arkansas garden, space
  floribunda, hybrid tea or grandiflora roses 18 to 30 inches apart. Climbing roses should be planted 8 to 12 feet apart and space miniatures 12 to 15 inches apart.