Is it still in the pot? If so keep it well watered until you plant it. I'm short on time now or I'd help more. I'm sure someone else can guide you :-)

Yes, it's still in the pot.

Does "well watered" mean water it every day until I plant it, keeping the soil dark and wet? Or is that water here and there until I plant it, keeping the soil damp?

My Dear Nativemel
This is not so bad,
Have you ever had a baby?
If yes, than you will understand quicker.
First, The soil needs to be uniformly moist.
This means, when you stick your finger into the soil, you should feel some dampness,
As in do i or do i not change the diaper.
The rose bush will want to be fed.
Regularly.
As in it's 3AM and the baby is screeming, or the leaves are not as bright green as they used to be, and there are no buds.
The rose bush will not want ANY competition.
As in we are at the playground, and screams are-- mine,mine,mine...
The rose bush will want to be groomed regularly,
As in We need a haircut, and therefore the barber has to take a valium.
or, you need to invest in elbow lenght gloves.

Then there is the open bud,
The spectacular color,
The fragrance,
The singing in your heart,,,

As in WOW i raised a genious,
Einstein --move over,
This unique child is MINE.
and the singing in your heart,,,,
You will forget the thorne. the heavy bags of cow manure,
the (dare i say) sweat running down your aching brow,

This is a magnificient creation, I worked for it, I will just sit here for a minute and savour the feeling of utter contentment.

Now if it does not work this time, no problem,
just start from the begining.

Oh dear,

Perhaps only with the roses.

Wishing you luck, from the depth of my black fingernails,
Irene

I'd plant is as soon as possible, if you're going to put it in-ground. I've used 'the Nelson Method' :

http://www.nelsonsfloridaroses.com/caring.html

for several years. The only other thing that I do (because of our terrible 'soil' here...when I dig the hole, I fill it to the top with water and let it sink away before I do any other thing....that gets at least some moisture in there.... then go ahead and plant according to their directions. The Bayer that you've got works well...key is to use something on a regular basis...actually mark it on your calendar...I go every six weeks...four, in growing season, on some bushes. But..be faithful about fertilizer for them. It doesn't hurt to alternate brands of the rose food/disease control..maybe keep two different kinds on hand. Don't be intimidated...just love it! ..even at 3 am! *smile* Irene says it so well!!!!

nativemel, I would go to the Roses Forum here and search "Bayer All In One" or "Bayer 3-in-1." I think that is the Bayer you have and quite honestly, I don't think you need the insecticide or fertilizer it contains. The fungicide is important, but I would strongly recommend the Bayer Advanced Disease Control which is meant to combat fungal diseases, i.e., blackspot, which can get nasty here. The ingredient is tebucanazole (I think). You can use the product as a soil drench or as a foliar spray, which IMO, is more effective. Just remember to water the plant well at least several hours before spraying and don't spray during the heat of the day (wait until the sun goes down).

I use the Bayer all in one product on my roses. Coming from someone who is no expert on roses... seriously, just follow the instructions on the container. All I've done is judiciously prune, water during dry spells, and put down applications of the Bayer stuff every 6-weeks or so during the growing season. Bushes have flourished ever since. I'm getting the first big flush of the year right now. :)

Thanks for all the comments.

It's been watered once a day since I received it. Yes, it is still in the pot today, but I will go home and plant it after work tonight.

Yes, it's the Bayer All in One product I have, and it says no spraying required, just pour over the roots, but I will try both methods.

I have worm castings, bagged soil and composted cow manure at home already. I think I should amend the soil heavily before putting it in the ground...at least giving it a fighting chance.