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Too late to plant roses?

marcindy
10 years ago

I am in Indiana, zone 5b, our first date of frost is usually by the middle of October. Is it too late this year to plant a few of the Winter Hardy roses from Heirloom's? Or an Austin? Should I wait until next spring?

Comments (17)

  • joopster
    10 years ago

    Oh I really hope not. I'm in Chicago and I just bought so many roses on clearance at our local nursery. Now that you raised the question, I'm debating if I should put it in the ground or transport them into a bigger pot and keep it inside my attached garage or even keeping them inside the house.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    10 years ago

    I don't do fall planting anymore. I lost a number of roses that way. They just don't have enough time to settle in before winter hits and they don't come back in the spring for me. Maybe if it's a really big potted rose that you can get in the ground without disturbing the root ball but if these are small band plants I wouldn't try it.

  • joopster
    10 years ago

    Thanks Seil, should I replant it in a bigger pot and add more soil or should I keep it in it's original container?

  • susan4952
    10 years ago

    I know I shouldn't say this because now they will all die. I have GREAT luck overwintering in my garage. Trees, bands, potted HT's, etc. I think they need time to become root bound and Sept. is not enough time. Soil temp. will only go down as will sun exposure. Wind is also a threat. i would pot them up and baby them in the garage. I bring mine in around thanksgiving, the tiny bands sooner. I water once a month and keep them clean. I planted. 4 band climbers a few weeks ago, and I am going to mulch heavily and pray.

  • susan4952
    10 years ago

    Larger pot, but not too big. How big are they? All of this really depends on age/ size of rose and what they're in now. A potted two year old , which is what you traditionally find at nurseries, will fare better with less disturbance of root ball and feeders than a little band or young bare root.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    10 years ago

    If they're in good sized nursery pots you can leave them alone. They aren't going to do much growing so they should be fine until next spring. If they're in little band pots put them in one gallon pots for winter. The band pots are so small that they don't have enough soil to protect the roots for long. But you don't want to put a plant that small in a huge pot either.

  • elks
    10 years ago

    I always plant and transplant in the fall and have rarely lost a rose bush to winter if I planted the bud union deeply enough (2-4"). Otherwise, I would be planting in clay mud in the spring, which is no fun at all. The roses will spend the remaining time this autumn developing new roots and will take off in the spring. This has always been my experience. I hope this is not too contrary.

    Steve

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    10 years ago

    Heirloom sells bands. I wouldn't plant a band this late unless there was a *very* good reason.

    Steve, the biggest difference is that you are talking about much bigger roses - at least 3 years older for the rootstock.

  • joopster
    10 years ago

    My are in in a 3 gal to 5 gal pots. One of them is in the green square Davis Austin pot. I'm not sure what's the size, maybe 2 gal. All are still in blooming except Princess Margaret, which are cut back with no leaves left.

  • AnneCecilia z5 MI
    10 years ago

    I'm with Steve on this one. I don't think it is right to make such a blanket statement that roses should not be planted in fall in cold zones. Why would roses be any different than any other woody shrubs or trees when autumn is a great time to plant *them.* I think the problem may have come from roses that were tender to begin with back in the days when if you planted roses, you planted hybrid teas - just my guess. Nowadays with all the hardy shrub-type roses out there, I wouldn't (and don't) hesitate. Of course, a good mulch the first winter is in order...but I would do that for any woody plant I put in at the end of the season.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    10 years ago

    As I said if it's a larger, more mature rose you might be able to plant it with good results. For myself I no longer chance it. I have a proven successful winter pot ghetto so they go in there. But for a small band type rose I would never suggest planting this late in the season. As a rule I don't even plant those out in June but pot them up gradually instead. For me this has worked out much better.

    Yes, spring planting can be messy but my roses seem to like the extra moisture and do quite well. Of course, everyone's conditions are different so you have to judge for yourself.

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    10 years ago

    Baby bands do better being planted a good 12 weeks in the ground before hard frosts come.

    Otherwise think Spring... ;-)

  • pembroke
    10 years ago

    Well, I planted a band from Heirloom about 3 weeks ago and have watered and will mulch just like all the rest of roses come time to do so. If an early frost is predicted I'll cover with a basket until frost is gone and let sunshine back in. I see nothing wrong with planting in early Fall. Pembroke

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    10 years ago

    You have people who play it safe and people who like to push the envelope when planting baby bands...

    The odds are just better if planted earlier in the season in colder climates. That's all....

    If a person wants to plant baby bands in the fall then go for it as its only a rose and can be replaced...

    This post was edited by jim1961 on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 19:51

  • marcindy
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks everyone for chiming in. I will wait until spring and plant my new roses then. Official reason is that it's safer for the roses, the real reason is that I am not nearly at a point where I can plant them... it's called procrastination...lol

    Next spring...:-)

    Thanks again folks!!

  • elks
    10 years ago

    Many of my plantings are of cuttings. When I expect frost, they are covered with 2 L pop bottles. In late winter, the bottle caps are removed during the day. Some years, I keep the cuttings in pots, also with pop bottles over them, and overwinter them under oak leaves along the foundation of my house to, as Mad Gallica says, plant roses with larger root systems. Both fall planting of the little ones, and keeping them in pots over winter, seems to work equally well. Yellow roses are the trickiest to keep alive.

    Steve

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