Unpacking and Planting Your Rose

How to Plant & Care for Your Rose Plants

A simple step-by-step guide for healthy growth and beautiful blooms

Rose plants in garden

Thank you for purchasing our rose plants! Roses are rewarding plants that can thrive for many years with the right start. This guide walks you through unpacking, planting, watering, and ongoing care so your roses get off to a strong start. Follow these steps carefully, and you'll be enjoying fragrant blooms before you know it.

Report Shipping Damage Right Away

Inspect your order as soon as it arrives. If you notice any shipping damage, report it within 24 hours of delivery and include clear photos with your claim. Notifying us promptly helps us resolve issues quickly.

1. Unpack Your Roses

Unpack your roses as soon as they arrive. Carefully remove all packing material, including the plastic sleeve.

Important: Do not remove the rose from its peat or fiber pot. The pot is designed to stay with the plant.

Place the rose in a filtered-sun location outdoors and water it thoroughly right away. This helps the plant recover from shipping stress and rehydrate before planting.

Rose planting steps

2. Choose the Right Spot & Plant

Select a planting location that receives full sun (ideally 6–8 hours of direct sunlight each day) and has good drainage. Avoid low spots where rain, snowmelt, or irrigation water can pool—standing water is one of the quickest ways to harm rose roots.

How to plant:

  • Dig a hole 12–15 inches deep and about 12 inches wide.
  • Add roughly 6 inches of quality potting soil to the bottom of the hole.
  • Keep the rose in its fiber/peat pot. Do not remove it.
  • Make two vertical cuts downward on opposite sides of the pot, each about 6 inches deep. This allows roots to grow outward as the pot naturally breaks down.
  • Set the plant in the hole so the top of the peat pot sits level or, at most, about 1 inch above the final soil level.
  • Backfill with potting soil, packing it gently around the fiber pot.
  • Water liberally to settle the soil and eliminate air pockets.

The peat or fiber pot will gradually break down and disintegrate in the ground. We've already mixed a slow-release rose fertilizer into the potting soil to give your plant a gentle head start.

Timing tip: If the weather is hot, plant in the early morning when temperatures are cooler. This reduces transplant stress.

3. Water & Enjoy!

After planting, water deeply. Going forward, soak the plant every 3–5 days, or more often during hot, dry weather. Check the soil moisture with your finger—water when the top few inches feel dry. Consistent moisture (without waterlogging) is key while the plant establishes.

Once settled, your rose will reward you with healthy growth and abundant blooms. Sit back, watch it grow, and enjoy the show!

Helpful Growing Tips for Long-Term Success

  1. Sunlight is essential. Full sun (6–8 hours daily) produces the strongest plants and the most prolific flowering. Less sun usually means fewer blooms and weaker growth.
  2. Skip compost and manure at planting time. These materials can burn tender new roots. Stick with the potting soil provided or a high-quality commercial potting mix formulated for roses or flowering plants.
  3. Fertilize during the growing season. Once your rose is established and actively growing, feed it with an all-purpose rose fertilizer according to the product label. This supports continuous blooming and healthy foliage.
  4. Start a preventative pest and disease program early. All roses benefit from proactive care to stay healthy and produce maximum blooms. Begin as soon as you receive your plants.
    • For organic gardens, look for OMRI-certified products.
    • For conventional gardens, products such as BioAdvanced 3-in-1 are commonly used.
    • Always follow label directions carefully.
  5. Additional good practices:
    • Mulch around the base (keeping it a few inches away from the stem) to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
    • Watch for common issues such as aphids, black spot, or powdery mildew and treat promptly.
    • In colder climates, prepare plants for winter according to your local hardiness zone once the growing season ends.
    • Prune lightly in early spring to remove dead or damaged wood and shape the plant.

Quick Checklist

  • Unpacked promptly and watered thoroughly
  • Planted in full sun with good drainage
  • Fiber/peat pot left on and scored
  • Bud union ~1 inch above soil level
  • Watered deeply at planting and every 3–5 days thereafter
  • Avoided compost/manure at planting
  • Started preventative pest/disease care

With these steps you'll give your roses the best possible start. Healthy plants that receive proper sun, water, and care will produce beautiful blooms season after season. If you have questions about your specific variety or local growing conditions, feel free to reach out—we're happy to help.

Happy planting, and enjoy your roses!

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