Sure, that would work temporarily. Then when you can plant them deeper.

Andrea, I can't address whether that much additional soil will provide sufficient winter protection in your zone or not, but you COULD bare root them at the appropriate time and replant deeper. There shouldn't be an issue until then with them being too high. Kim

You worry about winter protection when you order the roses. Then again when you plant them. If you wait until fall, then it is often too late to do what really should be done.

Okay, I've missed two out of three times to worry about winter protection so I guess I'm in trouble! It's not like I've done nothing -- I've read about it (checked out rose books at the library) and talked to people locally who have grown roses, was thinking about rose cones but maybe just take the leaves off and compost and cover with a tarp or something tarp like made for covering plants? I have thoughts on it, just nothing set in stone on what I am going to do.

Roseseek, how would you bareroot them? Just dig them out and store them in the basement or garage? I have never heard of that!

I'm thinking I'll just replant them deeper and get the bud unions where they should be.

If I want to do that then when would be a good time to dig out and replant? The weather has been unseasonably hot and dry lately so I know it is not a viable option now. Maybe wait until we get a cool rainy week later this summer?

Okay, thank you Seil! I guess digging out and replanting sooner rather than later is what needs to be done. What is the best depth you've found to plant the bud union in Michigan?

Great tips on winter, really appreciate your expertise! The one rose that I've had for 5 years (that inspired me to plant all these in the first place, has survived with absolutely no care and has come back every year ready to go, but I realize all won't be so tough)

I'm off to search the forum for transplanting and uprooting tips.

What roses did you buy? Knowing what kind they are will help. Also, where are you in MI? I'm on Lake St. Clair north of Detroit and in zone 6 so I don't bury my bud unions but if you're "up north" you should go probably at least 4 inches below ground. Maybe 6 but you shouldn't have to go deeper than that.

I'm in lower MI, about an hour north of the IN & OH borders.

The ones I planted too shallow are:

Orangeade
Hot n Spicy
Tropical Punch
Pascali
Mardi Gras
Royal Gold
Fandango
Charisma
Pianta
Miss All American Beauty
Peace
Reunion
Pristine
Perfume Delight
Blue Girl
Purple Tiger
Pink Freedom

On some it's a good few inches up, some it's 1 or 2 and some are half in the ground half out.

I've got a lot of work to do to make this right, huh?

I accidentally planted Perfume Delight with the bud union above soil line, and it did well through winter, it's a tough rose. I mounded it with a pile of mulch last fall, gave it an extra bit of mulch.

I'm not familiar with all the roses on your list... if you have some Floribundas, maybe they can be mulched up well for winter, and not re-planted...

(I love Perfume Delight, it was a bloom machine last year, huge leaves, fantastic fragrance, color and blooms!)

I forgot to mention how I mulched Perfume Delight last autumn: I piled an organic topsoil blend at the base of the rose, and then on top of that piled mulch. I made sure the exposed bud union was well covered. The topsoil packed down a bit and helped to cover it well. (The topsoil was not too "gritty" but one of the ones with a softer texture to it...)

Thanks, Krista!

I love Perfume Delight! Had never heard of it until I saw it at a store last month with two gorgeous blooms, went to smell them and after I did said "must have this rose!" :) I've had a couple more beautiful blooms since planting and it is definitely an attention grabber.

I appreciate the info on the mulching, that is what I was planning to do before thinking I'd better replant them deeper.

You have some floris, climbers and a shrub but from that list I see you have a lot of hybrid teas. Most of them are rated to zone 6 and will need some protection. But I've found that a lot of them are hardier than they're rated so don't worry. A lot of the ones I see there have been for sale in MI for a long time and people wouldn't keep buying them if they croaked every winter.

The only one I couldn't find anything on was Tropical Punch. Where did you get that one?

Thanks, Seil! That Tropical Punch one is from Meijer via Windmill Pan American Nursery in Canada (same is the Double Time that everyone thought looked like Paradise but is probably something that was hybridized by that nursery) -- it is orange and looks a lot like the Tropicana from what I can tell (hasn't bloomed yet)

I decided to dig out and replant two today, figured I might as well get started since we had some rain last night.

I started with my backyard bed which is along the back porch and did the Orangeade, after planting the bud union below the ground there were shoots and leaves coming up in a couple different areas, giving the look of two + plants...

{{gwi:293859}}

I noticed some wilted looking transplant shock but some of it has already straightened back out, just a few droopy leaves.

In that bed after the Orangeade are Sunsprite, CL New Year, and Arizona, all of which I planted properly with the bud union under ground. Next up is the Hot n Spicy followed by Tropical Punch (which I did not replant today)...here is a pic of the replanted Hot n Spicy

{{gwi:293860}}

same thing happened with the multiple plant look on my Hot n Spicy once I got the bud union under ground. It was not tough to do but I was stressed out because I so did not want to hurt the plants and was very worried about them!

So how do you deal with the multiple plant look or should I cut back some? Train it to grow together?

So much to learn! I appreciate the help from another Michigan person :) and anyone else who wants to chime in!!

I'm sorry I didn't see this post until this morning. From my experience, transplanting roses now, at the peak of the growing season, will often lead to demise. If they were mine, I would wait until fall, just before the snow flies, to move them. That will give you the opportunity to enjoy them this summer, as well as not shock them unduly because the will be going dormant. It will also give the roots time to regrow at their new depth. Treat them as bare root roses, cutting off the top growth. Your chances of success this way are extremely high. I'm not sur if I have ever lost a rose transplanting in the fall, and because I am growing in clay, I always plant then rather than in the mud of spring.
Steve

Thank you, Steve! Good suggestions. I may just do that with the rest of the roses. Seems like it would do more harm than good replanting them at this stage in the season. I will at least wait and see how the Orangeade and Hot n Spicy do for a few days before digging any others out.

It will be an interesting test then, nummy! I've always had really terrible luck with fall transplants. I found they never had the time they needed to get reestablished before winter set in and they didn't come back in the spring. So if you've already replanted some and left others you'll be able to tell which works best for you come next spring. Let us know what happens!