Gardening Plants & Flowers Flowers Roses

Planting Roses: A Step-by-Step Guide

By
Marie Iannotti
Garden Writer Marie Iannotti
Marie Iannotti
Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She's also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie's garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.
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Updated on 02/03/25
Reviewed by
Julie Thompson-Adolf
Julie Thompson-Adolf
Reviewed by Julie Thompson-Adolf

Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author with over 30 years of experience in year-round organic gardening; seed starting, growing heirlooms, and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
How to Plant Roses

The Spruce / Kelly Miller

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 2 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $10 to $50
  • Yield: 1 rose bush

A newly purchased rose plant often looks nothing like what you've imagined blooming in your yard. It may even come bare-root, resembling a thorny dead stick. Fortunately, planting roses is easy, so you'll have a big and beautiful rose bush in no time. Read on to learn how to plant roses in the ground.

Tips for Planting Roses

Roses are not the pickiest plants if they've been planted correctly. You will want to choose a location with full sun, prepare nutrient-rich and slightly acidic soil, and space the roses properly.

  • Light: Choose a site that gets full sun, which means six or more hours of direct sunlight. Some roses will grow in partial shade but more sun usually translates to extra blooms, except in very hot regions.
  • Soil: Roses are not fussy about soil but rich loam is ideal since they are heavy feeders. The soil pH can be slightly acidic to neutral (6.5 to 7.0). Work several inches of organic matter into the soil for best results. Make sure the soil you plant your roses in has good drainage.
  • Spacing: The more airflow around the plants, the less likely they will get disfiguring fungal diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew on their leaves. Plant roses away from other plants to avoid competition for soil nutrients.
  • Location: Avoid planting roses under trees. Shade and falling branches could damage the plant, Choose a site protected from strong winds that can damage growth.
2:11

Click Play to Learn How to Handle Common Rose Problems

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Shovel or trowel
  • Work gloves
  • Hose or watering can

Materials

  • Bone meal or superphosphate
  • New rose plant
  • Compost (if needed)
  • Mulch
  • Granular rose fertilizer

Instructions

How to Plant Roses

materials for rose planting

The Spruce / Almar Creative

  1. Prepare the Planting Hole

    • Dig a hole slightly wider but equally as deep as the rose's root ball. This will generally be about 15 to 18 inches deep by 18 to 24 inches wide.
    • Mix a handful of bone meal or superphosphate into the soil you removed and save it for refilling the hole once the rose is planted. This will help the rose bush acclimate to its new home. Don’t feed it with anything else at planting time. You want the roots to take hold before the top starts sending out a lot of new growth.
    • Mix compost or other organic matter into the removed soil if it is of poor quality.
    preparing a hole for planting

    The Spruce / Almar Creative

  2. Prepare the Rose

    • If your rose came in a container, gently remove it from the pot and loosen the roots a bit so they will start to extend out as soon as they are planted.
    • Grip the plant by the base (wearing gloves), and invert the pot so it slips out.
    • If your rose is bare-root, unpackage the roots and inspect them. Clip away any roots that are broken or soft with rot. Soak the roots for about 12 hours before planting to ensure they don't dry out.

    Tip

    If transplanting a larger rose, prune the canes to 6 to 8 inches long. This allows the rose bush to put more energy into its roots rather than keeping excessive top growth alive. Roses are best transplanted in early spring before new growth begins.

    placing the rose plant into the hole

    The Spruce / Almar Creative

  3. Plant the Rose

    • For bare-root roses, make a mound in the center of the hole, using a mixture of the removed soil and bone meal. Make the mound high enough so when you place the rose bush on top of it, the knobby graft union is barely below the soil level.

    What Is a Graft Union?

    Nearly all commercially-grown roses are grafted. The graft union is the knobby area near the bottom of the stem where the hybrid variety is attached to the stock plant.

    • Place a container-grown rose rootball in the hole, ensuring the graft union is slightly below the soil line. When the plant settles, the graft union should be fully buried, about 1 to 2 inches underground.

    Temperature Tip

    Plant roses when temperatures are between 40°F and 60°F to give the plant time to settle in and form strong roots before summer's heat arrives. Plant roses after all chances of freezing temperatures have passed.

    placing the rose plant in the ground

    The Spruce / Almar Creative

  4. Apply Water and Mulch

    Water deeply and apply 1 to 2 inches of mulch over the root zone of the rose around its base. Water new roses every other day, especially in dry weather, to establish the plant. You will know the rose has acclimated when it starts sending out new growth.

    mulch surrounding a rose plant

    The Spruce / Almar Creative

  5. Care for Your Rose

    • Continue to water your rose every week to encourage a deep root system. Feed it with a granular fertilizer mixed into the soil when it starts to leaf out in spring and after each flush of blooms, or about every four to six weeks throughout the growing season.
    • Stop feeding about six weeks before your first frost date, but continue watering until the ground is frozen. In frost-free climates, water the rose all winter.
    watering your rose plant

    The Spruce / Almar Creative

FAQ
  • Should the graft union be buried or above the ground?

    Recommendations vary for the best planting depth of grafted roses. Some growers, especially in warm climates, recommend planting the graft union an inch or two above the surface. Another recommendation, and the most generally accepted, is to position the plant so the graft union is 1 inch below the surface of the soil. In the coldest climates, the graft union may be buried 2 to 4 inches below the surface. If you're unsure, check with your local university extension office which will have the recommendation that suits your climate.

  • How do I plant a bare-root rose in a container?

    To plant a rose in a pot, fill a large planting container at least 12 inches in diameter about two-thirds full with potting soil. Make a mound in the center. Fan out the roots over the mound and fill in around them with potting soil until the graft union is about an inch below the surface of the soil. To help settle the soil and remove air pockets, water lightly and allow the water to drain.

  • Why are roses grafted?

    Roses are grafted to create a plant with greater resistance to disease, to improve their hardiness, and to give the plant strength to withstand adverse soil or weather conditions. Generally, a grafted rose will grow more quickly so it is an economical way to produce more stock.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Plant Wisely. Texas A&M University.

  2. Growing Roses. New Mexico State University.