In Jayne wrote:
I recently ordered a pretty rose via mail order & it arrived bare
rooted in a plastic bag. I've always bought roses in containers which
I've had success with - roses grow quite well for me. But this just
looks like a stick! Will it really grow well? I planted it straight
away with compost & bone meal.

Jayne, if you've never planted a bare root before, make sure of the
following:

(1) Make sure there aren't any 'air pockets' in the soil by compressing
it and watering it in as you plant. Compost will break down over time,
so keep a watchful eye. A proportion of compost mixed with normal soil
might have been wiser.

(2) Make sure that the 'bud union' (the knot in the stem where the main
shoots come from) is slightly above soil level after you plant. If
you're in a freezing climate I think some people put the bud union
underground (anyone?)

(3) Get some Osmocote and mix it gently into the planting soil before
roots develop there. This will add a slow ongoing supply of nutrients
not found in bone meal and compost.

(4) Don't be tempted to water much (if at all) in the first few weeks.
You may flood the baby roots that develop. Roses don't need much water
until they have a fair amount of foliage.