We've got a heat wave coming in, looks like tomorrow through Sunday will be pretty hot with the hottest day being Friday.

You could hold off and plant on Sunday late afternoon or Monday, or plant them now and give them shade somehow (shadecloth on stakes?) through the heat spell. I've planted bareroots at the end of June and they are alive and thriving today--you just need to watch the heat--shade them through every heat wave until they can get somewhat established. Don't drown them, but make sure they stay moist (not soggy).

One I did pot up and moved into full shade during heat waves then planted it in the ground in the fall as it started to cool down. It is just fine.

Keep a spray bottle full of water and mist them if the air is really dry.

Mine were a little smaller that first shorter growing season but by the following year they took off.

well I have a covered gazebo on my patio that I may put them under to start out.
So you think I could pot them up, keep them moist and keep them shaded to start out?
I know I won't get alot out of them this season, my biggest goal will be to just keep them alive!

I have soaked my bare roots for about 24 hours and tomorrow I'm going to use the French mud bath technique called Pralinage. I read about this today in the book Growing Rose Organically by Barbara Wilde. Here is the basic info from the book:

Mix equal parts garden soil preferably clay, and aged cow manure (bagged is fine) with enough water to make a thick, pourable slurry. Dip the roots in, evenly coat and remove them to see if it is thick enough. The stuff should be thick enough to cling. When it is, soak them in it for about an hour. Remove, lay on newspaper out of the sun until the coating dries.

The roots are protected with a whitewash of nutritive soil. It will protect them from drying out and allow them to bond better with the surrounding soil after planting. It provides a highly nutritive micro environment for the emerging root hairs.

when you say aged cow manure do you mean the kind they sell at home depot? I get their bags of "screened steer manure" for 1.00. Would that work?
thanks, gbebeh

I'm not positive gbebeh. I'm going to use the Black Kow brand because it says "composted manure" right on the bag. It's more expensive though, about $5 for 50 lbs. It is rainy today so I'm going to have to wait a day.

I've never been a big fan of starting in pots. It's too much hassle trying to force the roots in the pot. I recommend sticking them straight in the ground. Give them a good soaking. Cover them completely in mulch for the next couple of weeks. Slowly uncover them after this. They should be OK.

I have a rose bush given to me by a friend, .... I transplanted it into the ground last year, and it's not doing very well, but survived the winter and has two buds on it now in mid-May. I think I may try to transplant it into a pot and see if it does any better. Can you give me tips on: what kind of pot, and what kind of soil? I had roses in a wood planter, before, and had troubles with ants taking home in them, so I am inclined towards maybe a plastic planter this time, with lots of vermiculite at the bottom for aeration? Appreciate any responses, and could also someone tell me how to post a New Subject, as this topic probably should have been a New Thread. I am new here, and am confused on how to use this board. Many thanks.

perrydiane, go back to the main Roses Forum page. Scroll down past the thread titles and the Search box and you will find the section on "Post a Message to the Forum". Enter your subject and message there and click the "Preview Message" button. On the page that come up, you will see "Message Preview" as the title and your message and if you scroll down past the "Submit Message" button, you'll see a box where you can edit your text add more details, correct spelling, etc. Then hit "Preview Message" again. If you are happy with the message, then hit "Submit Message" and you just started a new thread.

I have to plant in a pot while they are bare roots in case of a hurricane.