That's weird---but then again, I've never ordered from Heirloom. When I received my bands this spring, they came with directions to harden it off first because if you immediately put it in the ground in the sunlight, it would fry.

I put mine outside in the shade for 2 days, then moved to a little more sun for 3 days, then almost direct sunlight for 2 more days. By day eight, they were ready to go in the ground with no crispiness.
---Laura

Thank you so much Laura! As soon as I read your post I ran outside to move my precious rose in the shade!

I usually just plant them right out in the sun, but I always protect the little guys with a 'milk jug' greenhouse because I know they're not used to the glaring sun of Kansas.

I saw Zimmerman's post too and thought it a little odd...roses indoors don't do well for me. Plus the last time I didn't plant some out right away (left them in the garage for 3 days after receiving with window exposure), a pack rat decided to chew off every stem of 6 brand new roses. Ultimately lost the whole shipment and then spent a fortune on poison and pack rat traps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings blog

Almost all but maybe 100 of my 300 roses have started out as bands, and I plant them directly into the ground. If I feel they need some sun protection, I will put a peony umbrella over them until they acclimate to the weather. Milk crates work well also as sun protection.

The one time I planted a band in a pot, it languished until I stuck it in the ground and it took off like gangbusters. Anyway, this works well for my garden here in Illinois.....

I always plant straight into the ground after a few days of soft shade and plenty of water beforehand. I also add Superthrive to the water when I am waiting to plant. Of course, that is optional, but it's never been a problem for me.
As Paul would say, go with your gardener's instincts lol!

Plant 1 inch deeper into the ground than it was in the pot that it came in.

I plant our Heirloom Roses into the ground before the UPS man has time to get back in his truck. lol. (My trademark LOL). They have been very tough roses here.

BUT, your in a warmer climate, so, follow the advice of the previous posters and yes, by all means follow your gardener's instincts.
Best of luck!

Thank you all! The only thing I have left to do is to wake those instincts up! lol

I differ with my bands in that I pot them up in 2 gallon containers, using good potting mix. I put them in the shade for a few days and then I place them in my cutting area where they are constantly receiving overspray from my misters. I do that for about 2 months, then they go in my pot ghetto until I am ready to plant.

I think Jim' idea of planting the roses deeper than in the pot refers to his climate more than where you live. I've always planted mine in the ground after letting the plants acclimate in their band pots for a few days, gradually moving them toward a more sunny (but not hot position). I've had the least success planting bands in May or June because of the coming hot summer months but anywhere from now until spring is good. Many people do advocate potting them on to larger pots but I've never done this and the roses don't seem to mind in the least.

Ingrid

We have never had good luck planting band-size plants directly into the ground.
Maybe those who are successful in this have more orderly gardens than we do.
We pot bands up to 1-G pots, and from there to 5-G.
By the time roots show out the bottom of a 5-G pot, I can be sure the plant is mature enough to fend for itself, out there.

Jeri

Heirloom roses has a general statement in there directions to plant 1" deeper than it is in the original pot. No mention of zones that I can remember.

Maybe e-mail and ask Heirloom this question.

info@heirloomroses.com

I e-mailed Heirloom roses on the 1" deeper question, here is there response.
------------------------------------------------------------
You want to plant it 1" deeper than what it is in the pot when you receive it, where ever you live.
Laurel Anderson
Heirloom Roses, Inc
800-820-0465

----- Original Message

How deep you plant bands has nothing to do with climate - it has to do with encouraging a strongly anchored root system. I am with Jerri in that I have never had much luck planting bands directly - for some reason they seem to make better root systems in a pot and a couple of the ones that I put directly in the ground I had to retrieve because they were languishing - I expect it has to do with your garden conditions - mine is not all that civilized.

I'm surprised that no one has yet mentioned the fact that planting bands at this point in the fall is VERY risky. Planting bands directly into the garden in the spring/summer is one thing -- but fall planting of bands (even in my zone 8 garden) is asking for trouble. One never knows these days when the first freeze will come, and one certainly never knows how developed the root systems on bands will be when they arrive on our doorsteps.

Perhaps this issue will not be a concern for Rgvmom in south Texas, but for gardeners in most parts of the country, I'd advise planting bands MUCH earlier than October.

Personally, I'd also advise folks to heed the sage advice that Jerijen posted above.

I would suppose that size matters also if folks need to pot up first and grow for awhile before planting directly into the ground. There is one band supplier whom I can think of where this is necessary because they supply 'twiglets', but I don't purchase from them.

windeaux,

Best time to plant bands in the ground here is Mid to Late May for best results.

rgvmom,
Planting a rose in a container is just like planting any other type of plant in one.
Choose the correct size container, you can use Miracle gro potting MIX,( or maybe someone can recommend something else), keep soil moist, protect during freezing temps in the winter.

I have no idea what your climate is like in the winter.
But, it is a good idea to plant band roses in the ground at least 12 weeks before a hard frost.

Make a decision according to your climate and garden conditions and go for it. lol

My bands went in the ground the 2nd week of May. They did fantastic. It's the ideal time for where I live; not too cold, not too hellish. Personally I'd only pot them up if they were going to stay in pots, but like Terry said, that's a function of where we live (Illinois soil).

Thank you all for your responses. Such a helpful infofmation and advices! The first frost here is usually in late December or beginning of January. Anyways I planted my band in one gallon pot this morning. I decided to that also because I spoke to people from local nursery and I was told that Damasks and Porgland don't really grow here because they don't like our alkaline salty clay soil even with amendments. Nevertheless I want to give it a try. I will hope my Indigo will do well in the pot with premium potting soil ( shall I use root stimulator?) and that will give me time until spring to prepare good spot fir her and Rose de Rescht that I am planning to get as well. :)

There is zero risk from frost if you plant a rose in the ground now in Zone 9. Fall frost does not kill young roses. Fall frost doesn't even kill cuttings. Drastic, sudden hard freezes and spring freezes are a different thing. Depends on your climate.

I always pot up, however, even in zone 9. It's a big, mean vicious world out there in my garden. If I lived in the civilized suburbs, it might be different. I grow plants on in pots until they are legitimate 5 gallon size. Then I plant in gopher cages and surround young plants with rabbit fencing. Once they're a bushy couple feet tall, they're on their own and don't succumb to dogs or vermin.

"Best time to plant bands in the ground here is Mid to Late May"

" no one has yet mentioned the fact that planting bands at this point in the fall is VERY risky."

Proves, folks, that this issue is very dependent on where you're living. If I wait til late May here in Kansas, the 80-90 degree weather will have often hit and they don't get established well. And I can plant now, with proper choice of hardy roses, and they'll be fine...mulched up for winter. I've actually had best results in April (occasionally covering to protect from frost) or in late September here in Kansas. I'd imagine that for the OP, in Texas, this would be a great time.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings blog.

I've done both, and had some success with both. On the whole, I like to pot up into a gallon -- which I leave outside, mind you! -- then after a couple or three or six months, plant it in the ground. Mine never go into the five gallon stage. I think long life in a pot is really not good for roses, though I do have half a dozen permanently in pots. So there, I am not consistent.

Climate is All, except for soil, which is also All.

Rosefolly