For future reference, it did not arrive too early. Bareroots are planted in late winter, as soon as the ground is workable. If they do need to go into pots, they should stay in the pots until they have developed a good rootball. That usually takes several months. So those get planted around Memorial Day, or later.

If it is a grafted rose, the graft has to be below ground. If it is, the rose is planted fine. If it isn't, dig it up and redo it. It doesn't have to be far underground, just not visible.

Hee, hee - I am laughing because I did just the same thing (planted a rose too high) last year. My wonderful DH got some of those pretty landscaping blocks, and built a wall about 8 inches high all around it, and I filled it in with soil, and suddenly it was growing in a raised bed!

You don't need to do that, of course - he just did it because he could, and he decided it was easier than digging it up again. The rose is doing fine now and growing like mad.

Jackie

*sigh* I planted a grafted Chrysler two days ago, due to various reasons the graft point ended up above ground, I will try to redo it today.

MadGallica, it is always surprising to me how little I know and still stumble along. [g] And here I was feeling guilty that I hadnâÂÂt gotten that rose in the ground yet, when I could have waited two more weeks.

Yes, I realize the delivery wasnâÂÂt too early for the usual spring, I requested last week of March for delivery. My ground was still frozen and I had snow on the ground when they arrived and they had to wait in the refrigerator for 10 more days before I could plant. I only potted up one and then decided the rest had new growth on them and IâÂÂd just wait it out. The other bare root roses were planted in the ground weeks ago and are all growing well so far.

I donâÂÂt know if it is a grafted rose. I ordered from Pickering and it is a David Austin, âÂÂBrother CadfaelâÂÂ. On their website they discuss that they use R. multiflora as a rootstock, so I assume that means they are grafted?

And I found a drawing of where the graft is supposed to be planted [below] and IâÂÂm pretty sure mine is too high. I also am planting in an exposed area and would like to give the plant a little more help with winter weather and wondered if I should plant it a little deeper. But there are leaves growing low on the shrub now. In the drawing below, they show the soil mounded up around the bottom of the stems and the graft right about at ground level, is that right?

Well, Sunday IâÂÂll try to dig it up and IâÂÂll post a photo of the rose so I can get it right this time.

In your zone the graft should be below ground by at least 2 to 4 inches for winter protection. I would dig it up and replant it if it were mine. It will suffer less transplant shock if you do it immediately instead of waiting until it starts to settle in and then up-rooting it again. Be as careful as possible but the soil should be loose and easy to take out. Place it on a tarp or something you can move around and out of the way while you re-dig your hole deeper.then replant it and it should be OK. I wouldn't fertilize it until you see it start to put on some new growth. Just keep it well watered but not soggy wet and be patient.

That's the standard planting guide that just about everyone sends out. In warmer zones that may work well but in cold zones you really need more soil protection for the graft than that shows. And I've found that that nice little mound on top doesn't stay there. It washes away quickly and the graft is exposed again. Plant it deeper, it can't hurt it, and might just save your rose some nasty winter like this past one.

Thanks Seil, I tried to mound the soil up around it and just watering it in partially washed the mounded soil away from it already. [g] OK, 2-4 inches deep. It's raining right now and will be through most of Saturday, so Sunday or Monday will work.

Honestly, if I dig a 2 ft by 2ft hole my problem is usually planting the rose too deep. The risk is that it will die back to the ground in winter. I just moved 39 roses and I just watered them every day for two weeks. They stopped growing for about a week, but now they seem fine. If it were me I'd just replant it deeper now rather than risk it. I don't think the shock would be that bad.