I would suggest waiting until next spring because it's better for bare root roses to be dormant when planted. Once I did plant a container-grown rose in the fall and it did just fine through winter. I don't know if this precaution was necessary but, for the fall planting, I made sure that it was hardy to one zone below mine and planted it in the early September, several weeks before the first frost. I also applied some winter protection by mounding bark mulch around the base.

thanks vesfl.

Sharon

In your zone, fall planting of bare root roses is inadvisable.

Just from the standpoint of survivability, the just harvested bare root roses you will be panting came from a zone 8 to 9 nursery. The roses are not hardened off for zone 5 growing conditions. Growing under very mild zone 8 - 9, preparing for winter, they don't have to go into the degree of a dormant state that roses growing in your zone 5 must do to survive winter.

The long canes they made in their warm climate, zone 8 - 9 growing fields, have been reduced to about 12" for shipping. The dug up roses with the soil they were growing in vigorously washed off, are really in a state of extreme shock (a necessary aspect of harvesting roses for the bare root trade), and any further stress like your severe winter, will not enhance their chances of even surviving.

What advantage do you have in the fall planting of bare root roses, from the roses' point of view? None.

What advantages do the nurseries have in promoting fall planting of bare root roses for cold zone rose growers? Increased revenues. They increase their income from when you eventually return to them in due time to replace the dead fall planted roses they promoted and sold to you.

Moses

thanks Moses. I thought it probably would not be a good idea but thought I'd check with the experts here.

Sharon

I've never had luck with fall planting, they usually die. And that's even here in zone 7-8. I would wait until spring. I know it's hard to wait that long, but you'll be glad you did.

I agree with all of the above - it's almost a foregone conclusion that they won't make it unless they're ridiculously hardy roses. Fortunately, all the good mail order companies that sell bare roots will hold shipment till spring (e.g. Palatine). That means you can still do your dreaming and planning, just wait till spring.
Cynthia

I wouldn't think that bare root roses would even be available in fall. The entire point of bare root production is to sell and plant the shrubs/trees while they are still dormant to minimize transport/shipping costs and to eliminate the potential for any transplant shock. Anything available as bare root in fall would be something held over from the previous winter or harvested before fully dormant. Neither is a desirable situation.

My nursery doesn't even sell bare root roses. While they do come in from the vendors/wholesalers in that state, they are immediately potted up in very generously sized fiber pots. This means they can be properly maintained and sold over an extended time period that would normally be much wider than the window available for bare root stock.

There is also a local area nursery rule of thumb that all roses must be sold by the end of July. That would also seem to confirm that roses not be planted into fall......even in my very mild winter climate!!

Gardengal- several places sell bare root for fall planting. I have to purchase bare-root from David Austin since I want own root roses and his bare-roots own root roses are a bit more established than the own root potted available from places like Heirloom.

We have very few places around my area that sell anything as "exotic" as a Kordes rose or even most DA's. Knockouts, hybrid teas is pretty much it. DA's are very hardy for me and some are pretty disease resistant. My 'Wedgewood Rose', a DA climber, had no winter dieback at all. She is now offered own root from DA so I'd like to get some more since she flowers nicely, smells heavenly and is very blackspot resistant. I will definitely wait till spring though. Maybe the fall bare-root DA's are more for those who have cool winters but not cold like southern CA and south Florida.

sharon

LOL!! I don't know anyone in my area that orders rose via mail order. This the retail and wholesale nursery capital of North America and if you can't find it locally, it must be pretty darn unique!!

Selling anything bare root when it is not fully dormant - like in late winter - is a big risk. I don't care if it is roses or fruit trees - plants not fully dormant do not take well to being without root protection - soil - during any part of the normal growth season. This is from someone who has extensive experience in both the retail and wholesale nursery industry.

Besides the risk of planting so close to colder weather for those in lower climate zones, I would not advocate planting bare root roses in fall as I can't imagine they would be anywhere close to being in prime condition. JMO

Back in the truly dark ages. we would drive to New Hampshire in late October and buy roses from Mike Lowe. He would dig them up, strip the leaves, and tell us to get them back in the ground the next day. It worked fine, but the most tender rose we bought there was probably Juno. I'd have no problem sending someone a gallica sucker in November. However, I know that what I grow doesn't live by the same rules as most peoples roses.

and I would never spend money on an own-root Austin. I've tried to grow too many of them from cuttings, and they never want to grow.

In general fall planting is for Zone 6 and above. I wouldn't plant anything - bare-rooted or otherwise - in fall in Zone 5 unless I knew specifically that particular item was hardy enough to take it.

Some people swear by it but I've had terrible luck with fall planting so I just don't do it any more. I found that they just didn't have enough time to put down a good root system before the ground froze and they never made it through the winter. And I'm in zone 6 so I don't think it would be good for zone 5 at all.

I received a shipment last Dec, 30+ bare root roses. I potted them up and grew them under the lights in the basement during the winter months, and planted them in the garden in March. I will do it again this year. You could do the same.

Madgallica- I went to Mike Lowe's a few times too. His rose growing knowledge was amazing. He told me to put a piece of sheetrock in the planting hole and a few nails. So many beautiful rose gardens. Sometimes that old time farming knowledge is the best.

To the rest- Thanks for all the valuable advice. Spring it is.

Sharon

Where is Mike Lowe's garden? Are there any open garden days? I'd love to visit it too.

I went too, years ago, in NH I believe to Mike Lowe's garden. He was so nice and showed off his beautiful garden to me and a friend. He died though, and gardens are never the same after that happens. His "chestnut rose" was so interesting.(Roxburghii)

I have planted roses in the Fall with no problem. All I do is build a little chicken wire cage around them and mound them with a bag of mulch. They have no problem making it through the Winter. The latest I've planted in November in our Zone 5 garden.

bella rosa- I asked about planting bare-root roses so not quite the same as planting a potted rose. Thanks for your comment though. I have always been afraid to plant even potted roses in the fall.

Enchantedrose, that's exactly what I mentioned - planting bare root roses in the ground in the Fall. Again, I've done it for years and have never had any problems in Zone 5. Just make sure to mulch the plant heavily.

thanks Bella. I think I'll wait till spring though. I have issues with voles eating my roses through the winter and mulch would just attract them and give them a nice warm and safe place to hide.

Sharon

I plant in EARLY spring. Thus the crazy lady with the shovel in her snowsuit with scarf and hat. If we have thawing in late March, I am out there. Sometimes I can only dig a shovel deep a day, and then have to wait a bit to let the dirt thaw. I then plant the biggest roses I can find which are Austen roses from DAR, either grafted or own root. The rose comes up like it was planted the year before, not knowing it was ever out of the dirt. For those who don't know, I plant my roses deep.

Rebecca