New bareroots don't have the feeder roots necessary to move lot of water. So they will struggle in heat until they establish a bit. The original plan is to plant them when the temperatures are around freezing, and it rains every other day. In other words, this has nothing to do with Arizona. Getting bareroots established during an Arizona summer is going to take a few tricks and probably a lot of luck.

I'd try growing them inside for the summer. with as much humidity as you can get. Cover the canes with damp towels until they leaf out. They don't need much light until they leaf out, and even then I'd be careful about how much sun they received.

I second what Mustbe wrote and would add to keep them out of direct sunlight until they leaf out. After that, morning sun only.

I haven't planted them yet, and they are: Tropical Lightning (Climber), Diamond Eyes (Mini), and Outta The Blue (Shrub). I had them in the fridge and moistened to keep them from dying until I plant them, but as of yesterday, they are currently soaking in some water containing SuperThrive. The climber of course won't be staying long-term in the pot, I just want to get it started in one since it is so hot and the sun is so unforgiving right now. Then once it's established, I'll be planting it outside with my other 2 climbers. Speaking of which..does anyone have any suggestions on affordable yet durable trellises? During the summer time here, we have what's called "monsoon season" from about June-Sept..where we get random crazy rain storms, sometimes accompanied with gusting winds upwards of 30-50mph, in addition to dust storms which can also have winds just as gusty. So I need a trellis that will be able to survive all of that. I've seen some really cool DIY ones that people have made from PVC pipe that was cut into various sized circles and then somehow attached together to form 1 piece..but I know how light PVC is, so I'm worried that even if anchored well to the ground, that it may just blow away. (I'm an artist, so I like things that are unique/creative and not just run-of-the-mill lol.) Any suggestions? :)

The containers I bought for them are very large, 21"..but I have a few smaller ones, around 14" or so and a couple of the original black nursery pots that some of my other container roses came in (not sure of their exact height, but they're at least 12" if not slightly bigger). I was reading somewhere when planting new roses in pots to not put them in ginormous pots because then they may out-grow them too fast..is that true?

Thank you all so much for your input, I appreciate it greatly!! I had no idea that bare-roots could survive indoors and/or without direct sunlight. Great info! :)

Also, did you soak them in a bucket of water or a bathtub for at least 24 hours before planting? I'm in No. AZ where I have mostly container roses and I do slowly acclimate them to the sun over time. They are watered every day with a drip system and so far I haven't lost any. Bare roots are also showered using a wand. :-))

They are soaking currently, haven't been planted yet..was waiting on info from all of you lovely folks first, that way I can make sure that they thrive! :) I water all of my other roses daily and they're all doing wonderfully..my Double Delight bloomed yesterday, it smells so heavenly! Not rose-related, but 1 of the sunflowers that I grew from seeds a few months back has finally bloomed as well! Woohoooo :D

I have not heard the thing about planting in too big of a pot. The pots should work fine. I have a "mini" rose that is the same size as some of my "regular" roses. It really depends upon the rose. I always look at it that if a rose was planted in the ground, that is a whole lot bigger than a pot. So I don't worry about pot size too much. I would rather not have to transplant my roses often if I can help it.

Some roses do better in heat then other ones. I see that one of the ones you ordered does excellent in the heat according to the help me find website. Your climber is very pretty! For my climbers, I use a rebar arch, for those planted in the ground. Until then, I have a mixture of garden stakes, etc., holding them up until I can determine where or if they are to go in my garden.

When you plant your roses, make sure they stay in the shade for a few days and then morning sun only as Towan states. She has the most beautiful garden. Keep them well watered and you will have to feed them more often since they are in a pot. Again, I use a good organic fertilizer as I want to "build up" the potting soil in my pots. I would not feed them during the hottest part of the summer, however. It might put too much stress on the plant. During your windy times, you plants can dry out even faster and become more stressed. There are times I have to make sure (when it is 116 degrees outside) that they are not only hand watered daily in the morning but I check on them in the evening to see if they need another dose. Like where you live, it doesn't cool off that much at night when it is that hot. It can still be in the 90's at 9 pm. Having a bigger pot helps with all of that. A small pot would dry out too fast and the plant would die.

I will see if I can find a picture of my rebar arch.

Your garden looks absolutely beautiful mustbnuts! Thank you for the plethora of information as well. :) Yes, I cannot wait until the climber blooms..the pictures of it blew my mind, and when it went on sale at Brecks I jumped on it before it sold out! I am so excited to put these guys in pots to see how they do.

What do you use for organic fertilizer? I try to keep things as organic/earth/pet-friendly as possible in my garden.

Just an addition to the above advice...black pots in sun will cook the plant. If you can shade the pots themselves, you may be better off.

I stay in Tucson in winter and most homes I see have tall adobe walls in their yard for their gardens. That can provide shade somewhat.

Good luck and have fun with it. (I LOVE those monsoon summer storms coming across the desert. Very exciting to watch. Too hot for me though!)

Check with an AZ rose society website. Your area has extreme conditions and learning from others in the same area is a good idea.

Thanks for the advice Susan! I've always tried to stay away from black pots for that very reason. Unfortunately, my yard tends to get A LOT of sunlight during the spring/summer when the days are longer, and if I try to shade my potted plants around the columns of my patio, they get their morning sun which is less intense, but then they end up getting baked in the afternoon sun which is the hottest. The only other shade in my yard is either on the side of the house where all of my roses are, partially under our pomegranate tree, or under our mexican lime tree. I wish that I could erect some kind of covering for protection from the sun..my roomie and I tried to do it with burlap a few years back, but the wind ripped it right out of the stucco..ugggh. I hate stucco, it's such a pain in the ass!! Everything seems to be made of it here. :/

Susan, I noticed that you're in NY..which part, if you don't mind me asking? I grew up in upstate NY, the Hudson Valley..between Albany & Poughkeepsie, very close to the CT & MA borders. I miss the land/nature and seasons there horribly!! I HATE the heat. I cannot wait to leave this state..far too hot and conservative for my taste, lol.

Hoovb, I've actually done that in the past, just never followed up on it cuz I got busy..but I will definitely look again and try to get in contact with somebody. :) Thanks all!

tinman, I am a Master Rosarian in north Phoenix. Perhaps I can help you. As you've guessed, bare root season in Phoenix ended in mid-February. Any bare root rose you purchased after that date had less than 50% chance of growing enough to protect it from hot temps, hot soil, hot water, etc. Bare roots purchased now will have 25% or less chance without some major work.

First, no more ground planting until after Oct 1. The soil is so hot right now, that feeder roots will cook. Use the largest light-colored container, with excellent drainage, a rose-planting mix and plan to place the bush and container in the shade, preferably on the patio. You'll not only need to water the bush every day but you may need to erect shade cloth over it. My recommendation would be to create a little shade structure using part of your covered patio. You can purchase outside roller shades that produce the same effect and don't look quite so ugly. These are weighted shades that can resist some monsoon winds. Better to roll them up before the dust moves in, though.

Don't feed those roses until after Oct 1. The planting mix will have enough nitrogen to give the roots a boost through the summer. Too much nitrogen will just cook them. Soak the bare roots for up to 24 hours in a 5-gallon bucket of water with several drops of SuperThrive. You can continue to use SuperThrive at least once a week throughout the summer. Unfortunately, you'll also need to mist these bare roots every day until they leaf out.

There are several methods of erecting shade structures for established roses but all need to be weighted in order to withstand the monsoon winds.

Trellises need to be galvanized, powder-coated or redwood for best results in heat and dry. The trellis should be attached to the wall with at least 4-6 inches of airflow between. You can accomplish this by using a 4x6 block between the trellis and wall and using masonry bolts to anchor. There are plastic polypropylene trellises but they don't last any longer than a lawn chair made of the same stuff. I start most of my bare root climbers in a large (20-24") container and use a tomato cage to hold up the canes. I do the same for David Austin English Roses that droop and OGRs that do the same. You can also use a large/giant tomato cage and shade cloth to create individual shade structures for these bare-roots. Attach the shade cloth with twist ties, shower curtain hooks, or some such. You'll need to weight the shade cloth down with bricks, pavers or similar. Leave some type of access to get water and mist inside the shade area.

Next Phoenix Rose Society meeting is Tuesday, June 20, 6:30pm, at the Valley Garden Center, 1809 N 15th Ave, Phoenix (between Thomas and McDowell Roads). It's the potluck before we take a summer break in July and August. You can also find me at the public rose garden most Saturday mornings at about 9am. During the winter, I'm there for several hours a week but during the summer, I may only drop by for a couple hours, 1-2 times a month.

Thanks Moroseaz. I bow to the expert. You are in good hands! BTW I do use those resin/styrofoam thick pots as they help to shade the roots (in light colors only) and they are light weight as well which can make them easier to move or easier to fall in case of your winds :). I also found some very sturdy tomato cages (they are thick wire) at OSH. Good luck with this and let us know how you are coming along. Even if you do decide to leave AZ, let us know how you are doing and of course, we want to see pictures!

Hey Tinman. To answer your question, I'm in the Hudson Valley, in the Catskill foothills near Woodstock. The temperature today is 65 with rain. I love it! I would spend the whole winter in Tucson, though. That is the winter weather I love and the Sonoran desert is so spiritual for me. Very lush in the Tucson Mountains. I grow those goldpoppies here in NY like the wild ones in AZ. They reseed every year. In Tucson I can be outdoors all day and night with no biting insects! For now I can do only 3 weeks there. Have you tried the Arizona forum here at GW? They do all kinds of gardening.

Moroseaz, thank you so much for all of the info, I appreciate it! What do you recommend as far as potting mix goes? I've read so many different things on self-made mixes and pre-bagged stuff, that it makes my head spin just thinking about it haha!

Susan, that's too funny that you're also from the Hudson Valley/Catskills! I remember so vividly when my parents took me to Catskill Game Farm as a child..such fond memories. :) I grew up in a very small town called Hillsdale, it's about 30 mins from Hudson. I wish that I could say the same about no biting insects, but we get mosquitos up here in Mesa like craaaazy in the summer time, esp. once the sun goes down! I def. don't miss those damn gnats of the east coast though (yuck)!

I haven't tried the AZ forum, but I will have to check it out for sure. Thank you kindly! :) AZ does have a very spiritual energy to it in some areas, but upstate NY will always be my magical place. I used to live right across from a lake up there called Copake Lake, so I was always surrounded by the green grass, tons of trees and flowers, the lake, the beautiful leaves in the autumn and snow in the winter..I miss it so much! I esp. miss all of the lilacs that we used to have growing in our front yard and all of the fireflies in the summer..(do they even exist on the west coast? have yet to see any anywhere up/down the coast as of yet). I'd love to buy a big piece of property to retire at up there someday!