When planting Rose bushes its worth taking the effort to prepare the ground and follow these instructions as Roses can grow for 35 years and in some cases a lot longer

There are advantages to planting bare root bushes as there are a far larger selection of them and they tend to be stronger plants with larger root systems but they have to be planted in the dormant season normally between Oct and March .

Container grown roses can be planted at any time but are considerably more expensive  but more convenient

We plant bare root and container grow Roses in exactly the same way

Soil preparation  

Roses benefit from good soil preparation  and incorporating well rotted manure or garden compost into the top 50cms(18inc) of soil ensures strong growth and good flowering

Containers  

Roses can be successfully grown in large pots or containers and using a 50/50 mix of loam based compost like John Innes No3 with Multipurpose compost with added garden compost if you have it available

Planting  

If planting bare rooted bushes  then soak them in a bucket of water for between 2-12 hours  before planting to make sure the roots are fully hydrated

If planting container grown Rose water well before

Dig a hole slightly deeper and wider than the roots of the rose when they are  spread out naturally dont try to squeeze them into a small hole

Holding the rose over the planting hole sprinkle Mycorrhizal Fungi onto the roots and sprinkle some onto the soil you will backfill the hole with.Its important that the Mycorrhizal is in contact with some of the roots.

Mycorrhizal greatly improves the establishment and growth of newly planted Roses

Place the Rose bush into the hole making sure the union where the rootstock and the rose variety have been grafted together  is at soil level as the latest scientific research from the Royal Horticultural Society shows that keeping the union above ground reduces Rose dieback

It was common practice to plant Roses with the union 5cms below soil level as this encourages more roots to form from the Rose variety

Fill around the roots with the soil from the hole working it between the roots and gently firming down. Continue to backfill until you are level with the surrounding soil

You can apply a slow acting feed to the soil surface but dont work it into the soil  as it can have a negative affect on establishment,a generous handful of  Fish Blood and Bone for each bush works well

Water each Rose bush with at least a 2gallon (10litres) of water to settle the soil  and keep the soil moist with regular watering during the first year

Apply a mulch of well rotten manure  garden compost or Bark chippings to suppress weeds and keep the soil cool and moist giving your Roses the best start

This film explains the benefits of Mycorrhizal Fungi