Personally, especially in your area, I would just plant the thing. It will be a healthier plant and have better protection in the ground come winter. Roses aren't that big of a hassle to dig up and pot when you move and then replant.

Don't know about Al's gritty mix, but if I am wanting to pamper the rose when I plant it--like I get a poor specimen that needs help--I use Lady Bug Rose Magic. It seems to work well. I usually just plant the roses in the normal soil though, as studies by multiple Extension services have shown that heavy soil amendments can slow root growth as the roots are not prepared to grow through the tougher soil once they grow out of the amended soil.

What kind of soil do you have? My Roses are planted in a heavy compacted clay and have no trouble with drainage all things considered.

As for fertilizer, I keep it simple, Miracle Grow Liquafeed works well for me. Sometimes you can find the one special made for flowering plants but usually I just use the normal kind.

Roses have a reputation for being finicky, but if planted in a sunny spot and its a healthy plant and a good variety they are generally very hardy.

Again my advice is stick him in the ground, potted plants have to be watered way too much and are more likely to freeze compared to ones in the ground.

For soil, we have red clay, with a lot of concrete from pouring the foundation. I haven't been able to get a shovel more than 4 inches into the ground. I can't figure out if the concrete is solid, or just in very large lumps.

Are you talking about coming out from the foundation? How close to the foundation are you trying to put it. My roses that I plant along the house are usually at least a ft or so out from the house so they have room to grow and to avoid having a high PH. If you are finding concrete that far out from the house I would be surprised.

You don't need to plant it. I have had 50 some roses (OGRs included) growing, and wintering, in pots outside in zone 6 for the past 6 years. And I don't have a garage. You made a wise, and lovely, choice. The General is quite hardy and should be no problem. You can move him into a garage for wintering if you have one. Put him on blocks to get the pot off the cement and water once a month all winter. If you can't garage him find a very well protected spot and put him there. You want to protect him from the drying winds as much as possible. You can wrap the pot and canes with burlap and pack leaves around him as well. If it's a spot that does not get rain/snow then you will need to water once a month. And again, it's best if he is up on something and not sitting on cement. The ground is OK but not cement.

The pot you mention will be OK for a time but once the rose is mature you will probably need to go bigger. The General can get 7 feet tall and 6 feet wide when he's full grown! Make sure the pot has a lot of drainage holes. If there's only one in the bottom center add some more around the outside edge. See if you can find some kind of pot trolley to put the pot on. It should not be solid like a tray though. It needs to allow the water to drain out and away from the bottom of the pot. With experience I've learned that the ones with 4 wheels instead of 3 are much more stable and easier to move. The trolley serves two purposes. One is to get the pot up so it can drain freely. The other is to make it easier to move around if that becomes necessary. And believe me, for one reason or another it always does!

I am not familiar with the mix you mention and can't comment on it. I use any good quality potting soil. It should not be top soil or garden soil. That mix is too heavy for pots and will not drain properly. You want something that is light and fluffy and doesn't clump up.

If your Dyna Gro is a balanced fertilizer it should do fine. And use that fish emulsion. Roses love it! Because you have to have such good drainage you will have to fertilize a little more often because some nutrients will wash out quicker in pots. I do mine about every 3 weeks while the ones in the ground only get some about once a month. But read the instructions carefully and follow them! There may be a different schedule for that product. You can add any kind of organics, like the fish emulsion, any time.

Hope that helps and don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions.

It goes all the way to the pathway. About 8 feet, I would estimate. Rental house is one of those mass produced duplexes. All I can guess is they knocked over a wheelbarrow full of concrete into the flowerbed, and then covered it with some dirt and mulch.

The gritty mix is a personal recipe from someone on this site. Crushed granite, turface, and pine bark, all of a specific size, resulting in no soggy soil, and lots of air for the roots, but you have to supply all the nutrients. Basically hydroponics when you really think about it.

Oh, wow. That's a big rose. How long does it take to grow to that size?

You certainly can't plant it in that bed! As for the mix I'd would add some potting soil myself. But I'm really not familiar with that kind of mix to know if it would be good or not.

It will probably take it a good 4 or 5 years to reach it's maximum size depending on how much winter kill you get. But you can also prune it to keep it withing bounds as needed. When you dead head between flushes just cut a little deeper to keep it shaped.

Hopefully in 4 or 5 years, I'll have a place with a nice garden that I can plant it in. I guess until then, it will live in a pot.

Adding potting soil to that particular mix would defeat the purpose of it. Al has an essay on the science behind it posted somewhere on this site, and it seems pretty sound. Since it doesn't seem like anyone has tried it for roses and met with disaster, I'll give it a shot. If worse comes to worst, I'll try again with a more conventional potting mix. I'm very curious to see how it will work out. Now I wish I had ordered two roses, for a side by side comparison.