Bare root roses are just what they sound like. These are rose plants that have been removed from the field, had all of their soil removed from the roots and their branches and roots have been trimmed back to ensure they are ready for planting in your garden. Typically, the rose plant is kept in a dormant state and shipped to you in the early spring. The rose will stay completely dormant until you plant it in its permanent location in your garden.
There are a lot of advantages to this method. The first advantage is cost. It would be very expensive to ship a potted rose due to the weight of the soil and space the rose would take up. Additionally, bare root roses ensure you don’t have to use up a bunch of space in your basement or garden shed prior to planting. If we did ship fully potted roses, the selection of roses would have to be limited by the grower’s ability and space to store potted plants.
When bare root roses arrive, they can be planted in the soil that they will live in for the rest of their lives. This ensures that, as they come out of dormancy, they can adjust to their new soil and climate gradually, with less stress to the rose. In the winter, the roses will go dormant once more until the following spring — just the same as a potted rose!
Shop Jackson & Perkins’ bare root roses for sale and choose your favorite roses. They’ll arrive ready to plant in your growing zone.