Coincidence! I just picked up a KO from Menards yesterday, to fill in an empty spot with reliable color. I just go ahead and plant it, unless there's a frost/freeze definitely forecast. I think they suffer more from planting when it's too warm or windy, myself. I don't worry about chilly temps too much.

I just planted a few yesterday, bareroots, because the weather indicated for rain today and I thought a good soaking would do them good. It has been snowing all day. We'll just see how they do.

With a bareroot rose, the earlier the better.

What if it is not a bare root? Say a potted plant? I have far too many potted roses that I have purchased over the past few weeks lanquishing in my attic/laundry room/front porch and I am most anxious to get them in the ground. It has been about 30 here the past couple of nights. A slightly warming trend ahead of 35, 36 or so the next few nights. Too cold?

Thank you.

Kate

I was speaking of potted--the one I bought was fully leafed out, with buds. I wouldn't want to put it out in March or early April, but since my other roses are starting to leaf out now, I feel pretty safe in putting out my leafed-out new purchases. I planted my mail-order roses from Chamblee's over the weekend (which were potted and already blooming) and so far so good. As long as it doesn't go down into the 20's for an extended period of time, I figure they'll be OK.

Prairie Rose:

Oh good. I was hoping you were referring to potted roses. If in your zone you feel good about planting I think I can be bold. Hauling roses in and out of the house every night is making me absolutely crazy.

Our lowest low for the next is meant to be 31. So maybe I'll do some planting over the weekend. Thanks.

Kate

Rookie, if the roses were being stored indoors at Menard's, then they need to be "hardened off" before being planted. Not so much for the cold but they need to get acclimated to sunlight so the leaves don't burn. They may have been greenhouse-grown, then on a truck for shipment, then sat on the shelves for ?.

If, however, they were being stored outdoors when you bought it, you can go ahead and plant it now.

If the Forsythia is blooming in your area now, you can plant your new roses.

Thanks for the input, they were outside when I bought them, but I think I will baby them for a few days, then plant on Monday. Thanks to all!

Where in Indiana are you located? I've not seen any potted roses for sale yet in my part of the state.
Menards here only have some sick dried out body bags, Lowes only had a few dead body bags and told me their potted roses would be in in two weeks. Wal*Mart has a ton of body bags that don't look too bad but are overpriced for grade 1 1/2 non patented. Those at Sam's Club should be tossed in the dumpster. They were dead. I've seen none of the boxed roses from J&P anywhere in my area.
Is NW Indiana in a rose free zone?

karl,

I am in Indy. I just saw them at Menard's yesterday for the first time. They had the J&P in boxes for 14.99, and the 5 gal ones like I bought for 17.99. I suspect they just came in.

Perhaps they're working their way north with the deliveries. The reason I asked was because I'm looking for a couple of the 2008 AARS winners and a few patented varieties. They don't come in the body bags delivered early in the season.
I'm not afraid of the boxed roses. They grow well for me and the boxes disintegrate fast the way I prepare them.
Most of the body bags come from Certified Rose Growers/Co-Operative Rose Growers, Inc. in the Tyler Texas area, are short on roots, and often mislabled

When is a good time to plant an own root climber in Lafayette, IN? I'm holding a rose for a friend until it's better weather. She thought Mother's Day. I can't hold it back any longer here, so I put it in a container and am growing it for her until I can send it. She's never grown roses before, this will be her first.
I appreciate your opinion.
Leslie