I'm in California so although I'm in 9b, the conditions are probabaly much more different than just a letter... but I do the same as zippity. I try to plant everything in the fall because it's one of the only times its mild and wet. We don't get a lot of freezes. Like you, maybe just a couple near December or January.

Summer (and even spring) is the stressful time for the plants around here because of the heat. And the dryness.

I would think that 3 gallon sized roses would do great being planted now. But maybe someone from your area will confirm with your specific climate and conditions in mind. :)

Fall is the main planting season here too. Even if we did get some light freezes in early winter, which we never do as any freezes we get (if we get any) come in late winter, I would not be worried about planting roses now. Any damage I get, which is only on tender new growth, comes from chilly dry winter winds rather than freezing temps. If your freezes are light, as your zone indicates, I would not think there's much to worry about, roses are not citrus. Citrus we plant in the spring, roses in the fall as a rule. The main difference between my med climate and your (subtropical?) one is the timing of the wet season. For us here is fall to spring. That can make all the difference but for this you should consult someone with experience of your climate.

Our dry-summer Mediterranean climate is different from yours: I plant in fall to give the plants all winter and spring to grow roots before the summer drought hits. You get a lot more summer rain in Florida than we do. But, even though you'll have to water during dry spells if you plant now, I think it's probably still better to do so, because summer heat is also stressful and the roses will be better able to face if they're put in the ground now. Frost is rarely a problem with roses in your kind of climate. They need much more serious cold than Florida as a rule offers to experience significant damage.

Our winter rains are just starting. Today I planted 100 'Golden Dawn' daffodil bulbs from Bill-the-Bulb-Baron on the roadside bank above the house, with 100 more to go in the ground sometime next week.

I have ordered a 5 gallon oak tree Quercus douglasii to plant in the open area beyond the olive tree. Formerly it was a rose bed until I took out the irrigation there. It is a drought-happy native oak. Should arrive sometime soon, maybe next week. Also, the roses were far enough away from the house that honestly, I missed their bloom a good deal of the time. I moved my favorites in closer, and gave away the less common ones to good homes where I could.

Thanks you guys! I think I will go ahead and plant them. The roots should be better in the ground than in pots and I could just cover them with blankets, if need be. The good thing about the pots is I could move them into the greenhouse if we got some crazy cold frost. One year (2009) we had 3 days in a row in the teens F and a bunch of nights in the 20's F, which is crazy for us but can happen, rarely. Last winter was really mild and I just left all the potted roses out in the yard except tiny band that I just bought which I put in the greenhouse. MAC and Mermaid and MN are the ones I was really more worried about if they got too cold. They will probably be O.K

Yes, zone 9 here in CA is not the same as zone 9 in Fla. We plant EVERYTHING in the Fall here. It then rains for 3-5 months, the weather is mild (50s & 60s F highs), and the plants can get established.

Jackie