How to replant a David Austin bare-root rose bush

Rose bushes are highly prized for their beauty, perfume, resistance and long flowering period. Choose your favourite David Austin bare-root rose bush and replant it in your garden. Follow all these steps and ensure that your rose bush grows healthily.

Where to plant?

Rose bushes grow faster and are more resistant to pests and diseases when planted in sunny, well-ventilated areas. You should therefore choose a location that guarantees at least four hours of sun exposure to ensure proper growth and flowering. They like soils with good drainage, as excess water can promote root rot and the appearance of leaf diseases.

Tips for planting your bare-root rose bush:

• Make sure the rose bush gets at least 4 hours of sun a day.
• Generally, the more sun, the better. However, in warmer areas, afternoon shade can be beneficial.
• Make sure the rose bush has enough space so that the roots don’t suffer from intense competition from neighbouring plants, including trees and hedges.
• Rose bushes are incredibly versatile plants and can be planted in a variety of locations, in pots, flower beds, to form hedges, next to a wall (climbing plants)…

When to plant?

Rose bushes should be planted between October and April. This gives them time to establish themselves and be ready to flower in summer. The only time we recommend not planting is when the ground is frozen, waterlogged or in drought conditions.

What will you need?

Hoe or spade, rake, gloves, suitable footwear, bucket, water, substrate and rose fertiliser.

Once you’ve gathered everything you need, you’re ready for the next steps:

STEP 1: (re) hydrate

Bare-root rose bushes should be planted as soon as possible after purchase. The plants should be dug up, freed from organic matter and the roots completely immersed in a bucket of water for about 2 hours before planting.

STEP 2: Prepare the soil

Work the soil well, using a hoe and garden rake, remove any weeds or large stones.

STEP 3: Digging

With the hoe/shovel, dig a planting hole with a diameter of about 40 centimetres. The depth should be sufficient so that the roots are not bent when planting the rose bush.

This will ensure that the new roots can venture freely into their new environment.

STEP 4: Work the soil

The soil should be worked into the planting hole so that it is loose and makes it easier for the plant to take root. We recommend mixing a substrate suitable for rose bushes into both the soil still in the hole and the soil you remove.

STEP 5: Fertilise

Remove the bare-root rose from the bucket of water and while holding the rose over the planting hole, sprinkle the roots with the fertiliser. Recommended dose: 1 and a half handfuls (40 to 60 g) per stalk.

STEP 6: Position the rose bush

Position the rose bush in the centre of the hole. Insert the plant so that the grafting site is at a depth of five centimetres.

STEP 7: Plant the rose bush

Fill the hole with rose substrate to support the plant and, if planting in a garden, build a small dike around it so that the irrigation water doesn’t run off.

STEP 8: Watering

Water generously.