Planting the rose

Planting the Rose

Now that you've prepared the pot and the soil, it's time to plant. As you mix the potting soil components together, you'll see the improvements in the soil in texture and colour, like a folded cake mix coming together.

• Soak the bare roots overnight before planting.
• Using a spade, start to fill the bottom of the container with old soil. Add manure as you go and pack the mix against the sides to hold the wool in place.
• Once you've filled the pot halfway up, add a few handfuls of organic fertiliser and wool pellets to give the roots easy access to the nutrients. Continue to fill with more old soil and manure until the pot is three-quarters full.
• Your bare-root rose will look like a knuckle with a few fingers and roots dangling off the ends. Plant the knuckle section about an inch under the soil, so you're only left with the fingers poking out.
• Remove any labels around the stems, as these will restrict growth and irritate the plant as it grows later on.
• Dangle the roots inside the pot rather than shoving or folding them in, and gently cover with soil. Keep it upright and check that the union is well below the rim of the pot.
• Fill in the gaps around the roots gently using the old soil. Leave a space for the final seven inches, which will be top dressed with fresh compost.

I'm planting Rosa 'Scepter'd Isle'