BARE-ROOTED ROSES
Saying “bare-rooted roses” is almost like swearing these days however the terminology has been around forever and quite honestly, it truthfully describes EXACTLY what type of rose you will be purchasing during winter – sticks and roots which within two months will shoot foliage and that same year, during spring/summer/autumn, will be continually flowering!
ROSES ARE AMAZINGLY HEALTHY, FREE-FLOWERING FOR UP TO NINE MONTHS EACH FLOWERING SEASON, EXTREMELY WATER-WISE AND TOLERANT OF ALL CLIMATES AROUND AUSTRALIA.
It’s funny though, when customers call us for information and they shyly refer to the “bare thingys … you know what I mean? … roses which I can buy during winter months when the roses are not flowering”, and we confidently put the customer out of their misery and say:
Oh, you mean ‘bare-rooted’ roses. Yes, of course, we stock bare-rooted roses; the customer sighs gratefully and we promptly write up their order!
Some customers refer to BARE-ROOTED ROSES as LOOSE-ROOTED ROSES … some call them WINTER ROSES (this doesn’t work because HELEBORES use that as their nickname – silly really because Helebores are not anything like roses but what’s done is done and here at Silkies Rose Farm/rosesalesonline.com.au we cannot change it!). Moving on … let’s talk about BARE-ROOTED ROSES and how you go about acquiring new varieties to plant in your garden during winter months.
During winter months when the roses are not flowering, we have them available as bare-rooted plants. It is most important to NEVER allow the roots to become dry. So if your garden beds are not ready for planting, please advise us so that we can hold the roses for you and forward them at an appropriate time.
When your rose order is ready for dispatch or collection, the roots are wrapped in damp newspaper and sealed in plastic to keep them damp during transit.
On receipt. remove the packaging and place the roots in seaweed solution for up to 24 hours prior to planting - this will enhance rapid development of new roots to establish in your rose garden. Apply seaweed solution every couple of weeks. Simply pour over and around plants. DO NOT APPLY ANY FERTILIZER until early spring.
Start the organic rose management at planting and repeat applications once a month.
Selecting Bare-Rooted for Winter
From February/March through to August/September, our online store is open for ordering BARE-ROOTED ROSES … each year there are more than 20 new-release varieties aside from hundreds more rose varieties which have been around for many, many years and are still popular and highly recommended for planting in your gardens today.
Rose breeders around the world are constantly offering us amazing new roses. Due to Government restrictions world-wide which have banned the use of most harsh chemicals, today’s roses are exceedingly ‘high-health’ and as such, are far hardier, more disease-resistant and more free-flowering than many of the roses which grew in our forefather’s gardens.
Rose breeders recognise that rose fragrance is very high on the ‘must-have’ agenda for rose gardeners so many new-release roses are also highly fragrant!
More recently, lots of new release roses are bred right here in Australia by Australian Rose Breeders just like ROSARIAN, GRAHAM SARGEANT at Silkies Rose Farm. His mini-patio rose, GRA’S BLUE was assessed at the Australian Rose Trial Grounds in Adelaide Botanical Gardens during two flowering seasons and received BRONZE MEDAL for overall performance in 2015 trials along with a highly coveted award: GOVENOR OF GIFU, JAPAN, “MOST HIGHLY FRAGRANT ROSE IN TRIALS”.
Rather than select your new BARE-ROOTED ROSES for planting this winter from our online store, we suggest you visit us at SILKIES ROSE FARM, CLONBINANE or visit rose gardens in your locality during flowering season from October – May when you can actually see the true colour, assess the perfume according to your personal sense of smell and visually see the rose bush!
Rose fragrance is such a personal thing which can also depend on weather conditions and your olfactory sense. Quite truthfully, nearly EVERY ROSE HAS FRAGRANCE to some degree at some time of the day or at some time during the development of the bloom!
I cannot take pictures of fragrance and have been asked to assess the roses from 1-10 for fragrance and place that assessment on our website – that would be an indictment to so many beautiful roses unless I hired a panel of judges during a season of flowering to make assessments of each individual rose and analysed the results!
Graham and I are always testing each other about fragrance – it truly, really is a very personal experience to smell a rose so go wandering around your neighbourhood, State Rose Gardens and local nurseries to test your olfactory glands on the roses right there where you live and then order them as bare-rooted roses this coming winter.
POTTED ROSES
From August onwards, the roses are potted in coir fibre potting mix and are posted in a sealed plastic bag ready for immediate planting on receipt. These roses travel exceptionally well with transit usually taking 3-4 days; more outback destinations can take 7-10 days without negatively impacting on the roses.
There is a sample pack of Eco-Seaweed to use at planting as this reduces the transplanting shock. Fortnightly applications of seaweed solution after planting are highly recommended to ensure rapid root development and establishment of the rose in it's new location.
Our GIFT ROSES are always potted and beautifully gift wrapped with a card inscribed with your personal message and rose maintenance brochures. Seasonally, flowers and buds are left on the plant to enhance the beauty of your gift rose.
Our roses are guaranteed to grow and flourish in gardens around Australia (except WA and TAS).!