When do I plant roses in Seattle?

When to Plant Roses in Seattle – In Seattle, as is the case in any state, you should aim to plant roses – either new roses or roses that are transplanting from one place to another in your garden – when they are dormant. That period of dormancy is when the weather is cold, throughout fall and then from late winter on through to early spring.

Don’t be tempted to plant roses in the middle of winter when the soil is frozen and the ambient air temperatures are very low.

The timing of planting roses also depends on how they were bought.

You can buy roses either in the bare-root format, grown in containers or in containerized form.

 

 

 

 

 

When to Plant Bare-Root Roses in Seattle

What are bare-root roses?

Bare-root roses are roses that are taken from the ground in the dormant season – when it’s cold. In Seattle, that would be from November right on through to March and possibly through to April since April is still pretty chilly.

If you buy bare-root roses you’ll get a spindle-like rose bush that has no foliage and has the roots completely exposed. It’s not an impressive sight! But once planted you’ll find that your bare-rooted roses will come away with ease.

Bare-root roses are usually much cheaper than container-grown roses and as such, they are a very popular choice for Seattle gardeners.

If you can, plant your bare-root roses as soon as you get them. If there’s a planting delay keep your roses in a frost-free place – a place that is cool. If there’s a lengthy delay to planting bare-root roses then it’s wise to ‘heel them in.’ Heeling in simply means making a trench in your soil, inserting the roots, then covering them over until you’re ready to plant. There’s no need to space your roses out if you heel them in. It’s a very temporary measure.

 

 

When to Plant Containerized Roses in Seattle

What are containerized roses?

Containerized roses started out the same way as bare-root roses. These are then containerized so that the roots don’t dry out. 

Containerized roses are available from garden centers and nurseries from fall through spring. 

Plant containerized roses in the same way you would bare-root roses. Best planted in mid-spring or basically as soon as you get them. 

 

When to Plant Container-Grown Roses in Seattle

What are container-grown roses?

Again, container-grown roses started out as bare-root roses – at least many of them do. They are planted into containers and are container-grown for a season or more. Which means they’ve spent far more time in a container than containerized roses. 

You can buy container-grown roses at any time of year. You can, likewise, plant container-grown roses at any time of year. Best to avoid planting when it’s really cold out. 

Because of the constraints of the container, container-grown roses are not as strong as their bare-root counterparts. The root formation is not as strong. What’s more, container-grown roses are the most expensive option.