Rose 'Little Sid'

Planting Advice for 'Little Sid' Bare Root

• Plant your rose where it can get plenty of sun for at least half of the day, and where it will be sheltered from the wind.
• Roses tolerate a wide range of soil but will thrive in deep, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, so add plenty of well-rotted manure into the hole if necessary.
• Dig a hole twice the width of the roots, forking over the bottom to loosen the soil, and add some good quality fertiliser such as Blood Fish & Bone (wash your hands afterwards!)
• Plant so that the graft union (the swollen area when the stems meet the roots) is around 3cm below soil level.
• Holding the bare root upright in position with one hand, slowly backfill the hole with soil, and gently shake the plant, so the soil falls back around the roots.
• Use your heel to compact the soil around the plant to ensure good contact around the roots. Water in well.
• Established roses can be watered around once a week through spring and summer - more if the weather is hot.
• For best results, feed roses in late-March/April and again in late July.

Pruning Advice for 'Little Sid' Bare Root

• To prune, remove any dead, dying, damaged and diseased stems and also deadhead regularly.
• Traditionally, you would cut just above a leaf joint with a sloping cut away from the bud, however, this isn't necessary, and don’t worry about pruning too much - roses are very resilient and will grow back.
• When pruning, make sure that your secateurs are clean and sharp to prevent squashing stems and introducing disease.