March is the perfect planting time for a wide range of garden plants. It’s a particularly good time to plant roses. At this time of year you should still be able to take advantage of cheaper mail order bare root roses, but for the widest selection opt for a container grown rose.

To get the best from these long-lived garden plants its worth paying attention to the soil ahead of planting. Roses prefer a site rich in organic matter, so on sandy or heavy clay soils mix in some compost, at least two spades deep if possible. West+ Rose, Tree and Shrub Compost is perfect for this and will help feed the plant for four months.

How to Plant Roses

Containerised plants can be planted at any time of the year as long as the soil is not waterlogged or frozen, or suffering from drought. For the best results plant roses in the autumn or early spring.

Choose plants with at least three healthy, well-balanced stems.

Step 1

Submerge the container and the rose roots in a bucket of slightly tepid water. It is important to ensure that the root ball and surrounding compost is thoroughly wet before planting.

Step 2

Decide where you want to plant the rose and dig a hole larger than the size of the root ball. It needs to be deep enough to plant the rose up to the base of the crown of stems and you need to allow enough room to add some planting compost too.

Loosen the soil at the base of the hole and around the sides with a fork to allow the roots easier access. Fill the base of the hole with Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure. Add Gro-Sure All Purpose Slow Release Plant Food to the planting hole and work it gently into the soil and manure. Follow the instructions on the pack to ensure you apply the correct amount for your plant.

Step 3

Remove the rose plant from the container and place the root ball of the rose into the hole so that the crown is level with the top of the planting hole. Turn the rose around until the best side faces in the direction it will be mostly viewed from.

Step 4

Fill in around the rose roots with West+ Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost & 4 Month Feed, mixing this in with the surrounding soil. Pack the soil and compost mix around the root ball firmly but do not compact it too much. When the hole is refilled completely, firm the soil around the plant with the sole of your boots and water well.

Step 5

Check on the rose after about a week. You may find that the compost/soil mixture has settled and sunk a little around the base of the rose. If so, fill in the sunken area with more West+ Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost & 4 Month Feed and firm gently. Mulch around your plant with an appropriate mulch such as Decorative Mini Bark.