Jean S. Barto wrote:

Hello folks--

I just got my roses from Wayside Gardens yesterday, and I definitely
want to plant them this week. However, the weather today is cooler (mid
50's) and windy (15-20 mph), with nighttime temperatures around 50 F.

Perfect bare root planting weather! You want cool and moist. After soaking
and planting, mound them with pine straw to keep the canes from drying out.


Wednesday and
Thursday will be warmer (mid 70's), but still windy. Nighttime
temperatures in the mid 50's. Is this OK weather to plant?


It is, but I think cooler is better, especially when there is wind. Wind
plus warm equals drying. However--if you stay on them, misting/watering
every day, they will always be fine.


Since I have 15 roses in all, it will take me 3 or 4 days to plant them
all. How should I store the roses I'll be planting later this week?

They should already be soaking. It is best to get them out of their
packing material and into a deep cold water bath right away. My bare roots
had to soak for a month before I planted them--and they are just fine. The
ones closest to the surface had just begun to sprout when I planted them,
the ones under water were still dormant and are not sprouting where I
planted them.




Thanks in advance,

Jean Barto
Newport News, VA
Zone 7B


I love Newport News, by the way. I grew up visiting that part of Virginia
quite often. The bus station was in Warsaw at that time. There were still
slot machines at the Greyhound rest stops, too!




--
"If you are going through hell, keep going."

Winston Churchill