I recently planted 3 bare root roses. This is my first time planting roses as well as my first time planting anything bare root. Two other varieties seem to be doing great but my peace rose has yellowing leaves. The new growth looks perfectly fine but older leaves turn yellow in random patterns. All three roses were planted in the same compost mixture in 7 gallon pots.

I am thinking it is probably the mosiac virus but hoping it is just a mineral deficiency.

Soil has to have varying sizes of particles to permit air and water to circulate properly. Otherwise, it can become either too wet or have pockets which are too dry and the roots won't perform their appointed functions properly. If the mixture is too light, it will inhibit root growth because there is too much air and not enough solidity for the roots to hold on to. Trying to transplant the bushes when it's time can easily result in the soil ball disintegrating instead of holding firmly together.

If the mix is too heavy and dense, it can hold too much water and insufficient air. That can easily "sour", forming hydrogen sulfide instead of containing oxygen. You might poke a thin bamboo stake into the cans around the perimeters then pull it out and smell it. If you detect a sour smell instead of the expect damp soil scent, the mix is rotting and the plants will fail. If it smells as expected, that hasn't happened. It doesn't mean it can't, just that it hasn't yet.

You can also poke a finger into the drainage holes around the pots to check for the sour smell. You've probably smelled that smell when un potting plants which have been over watered, sat in too deep saucers of standing water or others which have stopped draining.

I seriously would not begin adding fertilizers to those pots at all. I'm genuinely concerned what you describe as the planting medium is improper and can result in problems. I feel you would be much safer diagnosing whether you detect any soil souring first, carefully watering and continuing to check for souring once or twice a week until you're confident the pots are sufficiently developed to permit planting out in the garden. I'd get them in the ground and settled before adding any fertilizers.

That horse manure compost won't move the salts from the fertilizers like decent garden soil will. It can absorb too much which can burn the new roots, which are very likely still too small and young for safe fertilizing. Waiting until there is a more established root ball, then planting them in the ground and settling in before you add fertilizers is a hole lot safer than starting to add salts in that smaller soil ball. I would not use organics in the pots of composted horse manure. I fear what you have could be "too rich", too organic as it is. Organic material is a great thing to make good soil from, but too much of it is not a good thing. I would seriously suggest more of a "wait and see" approach. I doubt you can harm them by watching for souring, permitting them to develop more then planting them out before fertilizing. I know you can easily and quickly over fertilize newer bare roots in pots, particularly if there might be an issue with the medium they are planted in. Good luck. Kim

I've been watering about once a week and luckily the soil doesn't seem to be holding too much water. I checked the pots and they all smell earthy but I will keep watching them.. or sniffing them rather.

Thanks

If you have trays on the pots, take them off and try and put the pots up on pot feet or trolleys to help with drainage. Get a moisture testing meter so you can test the soil deeper in the pot. You can't always go by how dry the surface looks.

You don't say what the other two varieties are that you bought but I think 7 gallon pots are going to be too small. You need at least 15 gallon pots, and 25 gallon would be best, for hybrid teas like Peace. You can probably leave them in the smaller pots for a while but will eventually have to go much bigger if you want them to thrive.

Thanks again for all the suggestions

You may, as long as they appear to be growing well in that soil, leave them to continue developing their root systems until fall. Perhaps by then, they may have knit the soil ball into a strong enough unit to make planting easier and safer. It's pretty much a wait and see situation. As long as it's probable you can move the soil ball in one piece without it falling apart, it's safe to plant. Good luck! Kim

As long as those small pots are just temporary they should be fine. You can transplant them any time when your bed is ready but if it's the height of your hottest part of the summer I'd either wait for it to cool down some or provide some kind of shade for them in the beginning. Even just a lawn chair placed over them to give shade during the hottest part of the day will work. You just don't want them to dry out and bake before they have a chance to set some roots out into the new spot to find water. And watering will be key in the beginning. Keep the soil moist at all times but not soggy either. It's kind of a fine line. And if it's very hot don't be afraid to hose the whole plant off to cool it down. They do absorb some water through the leaves too.