They usually say to first pot them up in a small pot....usually 1 or 2 gallon size. black is preferable since it will help warm the roots faster and encourage growth ( a new tidbit I learned from Bill at RU). Liquid fertilizer is suggested.

I think usually planting is about 8 weeks later. Here it is too warm then so I will wait to plant until fall.

Some people pinch any new buds to encourage foliage growth...I don't have the heart to do that...

Feel free to add anything I forgot or correct if needed.

Hey Redsox:

I have ordered several bands from Heirloom. Not sure where you are getting yours from. I've never been overly nice to them. I have planted them all directly into the ground. I've only killed one so far (Super Dorothy) due to it being in too low of light. And that took two years:)

Last fall I ordered Viking Queen really late in the season. Then when it came I was really not sure what to do with it because it was so far into Fall. So for lack of any other real options I just went ahead and planted it in the ground in I think October. It spent the winter under snow. I was worried for sure. This morning I went out in the garden and saw that my little Viking Queen is still alive and well! Kind of sad looking but definitely still kicking.

You're right of course about the different zones. I'm wondering though that with you having the foresight to order early if you should not be able to just go ahead and plant them in the ground. The rose smarties keep saying so many roses are happier growing in the ground than in a pot. If you decide to go that way you can always just take steps to protect the band from inclement weather if you get it.

Hope this helps.

Kate

redsox, I just had 12 delivered. I kept them inside for 2 days because it was very cold and windy. But now they are out on the porch. I'll pot them up in 1 or 3 gallon pots, whatever I have. I may plant them later this year. I have 4 bands I received last summer that I plan on planting in the ground this spring.

According to the instructions, only mild liquid fertilizer (miracle gro) for the first few months. And they aren't supposed to be inside for more than a few days. So once you get them try to acclimate them to outside.

Some people put them on a wagon and wheel them out during the day and wheel them in a garage at night if it's going to be very cold.

Last year I had bands from Heirloom. I planted them right in the ground because I'm not very good at taking care of plants in pot. They all did fine. The first couple of flowers were small and didn't have many petals, but by the fall the blooms were a normal size. They grow fast too - by the end of the year you couldn't tell which ones started as bands. I didn't fertilize any of my roses until very late last year (I wanted to wait for them to grow, and then we had the drought). I waited a little longer to get the bands as I wanted to be sure the bare root roses were planted before I had to worry about the bands. I think I got them early May last year, and I'm doing the same thing this year.

You might want to wait until you've a year or two of rose growing and getting to know your growing conditions...like spring temperatures, summer droughts, how late in fall before new growth gets killed.
Bands are very different from what you're already growing. And not all bands are created equal nor are bands of different rose classes.

I'm interested in opinions on this. I got my first batch of bands in December - they are now thriving in pots - just started leaving them outside uncovered - they have been in 1 gallon plastic pots and I kept them in little plastic greenhouses outside my garage - brought them in if weather got too cold [I am 2 hours from Houston]. I have been wondering if it would do them any harm to plant them in beds now? Or should I wait until fall or next spring, let them grow in the pots longer? I just started giving them fish emulsion, in a smaller dose. When should they start receiving fertilizer like Miracle Gro?
Judith

Alameda...I would go ahead and plant them now..I also bought bands and planted them directly into my gardens..I dug a hole and put the pot the band was in into the hole and pulled the soil around the pot and firmed the soil..keeping it at the same depth as the band in the pot..pulled out the pot and had a "Custom" made planting hole that fit the rose perfectly..I think sprinkled a couple handfuls of Bonemeal into the hole and flipped the pot over into my hand and lifted the pot away from the band and placed it into the hole..it fit like a glove..firmed the soil around and watered well...kept it moist until new leaves began to grow and then kept it on my regular watering regime..all mine survived and are awesome...I fed mine alfalfa tea about one month later...Jeanne
Below is a link to my "Dublinbay" when it was 8 months old from planting as a band

Here is a link that might be useful: Dublin Bay

And here is Dublinbay at One year old from being a band

Here is a link that might be useful: One Year Old Dublinbay

I like to pot bands into one or two gallon pots (whatever I have on hand, wash the old pots and sterilize with a bleach dunk before reusing) then 'plant' the whole pot into a nursery bed. I can take them into the garage on a cold night if needed and they are in a location protected from pets, soccer balls and weed whackers. Planting the pot reduces the need to water. You can also group the pots in a kiddie pool. Some bands grow faster than others, you'll know when they are ready to plant out when white feeder roots come out the weep holes (the holes at the bottom of the pot). They will bloom in the first year (unless the rose is a once bloomer) -- the blooms will be smaller with fewer petals. I debud, just a preference.

I have direct planted 6 bands over the last few years. They all went into the garden in late March. They all thrived.

However, I do not consider "direct plant" to be universal advice. Certain factors led to my decision:

I am rarely home during the week and neglected roses in small pots are very vulnerable to cold and wind and drying out. And dying!

The roses were hardy varieties.

My soil is great, probably better than any mix I might buy.

My planting spots were out of the wind.

It rarely gets real cold here in late March or April.

I also believe that the second planting just represents another setback for the rose.

redsox, i am on the colder side of zone 6, 75 mi south of kansas city. I order my roses to be delv. about april 15.Last spring i planted about 100 bands in the ground, amended, a couple were just too small and didn't thrive, but i killed more weeding by accident. they usually give you one chance. I ordered various classes etc. some roses will bloom, most of once bloomers didn't. some are fast growers some are about as small when i planted i think. I planted about 40 last fall, so far they look good except for a couple which were too small, but one i just knew wasn't gonna make it is coming up with green canes at soil level now. I almost starting to think the fall planted ones are doing better so far than the spring planted ones after i planted them. I get a lot of wind and have no reliable snow cover. the hardest thing on them seems to be a late freeze or the summer heat. The gallon or larger size seem to take less time getting established, however a lot of that depends on the particular cultivar and not necessarily class of rose.

Hi Redsox - I bought several Dr. Buck bands from Heirloom last year and planted them directly into my Zone 5 gardens. They took off like very fast and I even had blooms. I did add some light Rose Tone towards the end of the season ..at the time I didn't know most folks recommend only using liquid the first season. Didn't seem to hurt them any though.

I don't like to plant in pots because our growing season is so short and I want them to get a head start on winter. Even the Distant Drums that arrived all BS recovered nicely and was looking good going into winter.
-t

Hmmm....I am perplexed as to what to do. These bands are from Vintage, one HT and 2 Gruss. Should I take a chance or as Ann says, am I a little too Green? I don't want to waste my money since I am trying bareroots for the first time this year also.

Then go with caution and pot them up. If they are vigorous and grow rapidly, then you can plant them in the ground later in the season. If they are not, you can wait until next year to plant them.

And if I remember correctly, Vintage will send you growing instructions, just follow them, you'll be fine. I always pot mine into gal size pots, they grew rapidly. Just remember to water! It's the most important step, whether they are in gallon or band pots. I know I was a little freaked the first time I saw them. I mean, "holy crap, they are tiny, I'm gonna kill 'em" kind of freaked. They were fine, only lost 1, which wasn't rated for anywhere near my zone to begin with. Never tried direct planting, maybe I'll try it this year.