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UNPACKING ROSE PLANTS |
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Nurserymen become very skilful in packing plants, often so skilful as to make them difficult to unpack. The greatest care must be exercised in disentangling rose plants received in a bundle. Their thorns and branches can become unbelievably intertwined. The budding is often not very firmly united to the stock, especially in plants budded only a few months earlier, and dragging or twisting of one plant from amongst others can very easily tear out the budding. All ties should be carefully cut with scissors; a knife can be dangerous to both the plant and the person. Then very slowly and gently the branches should be untangled until all are clear; the roots will come apart much more easily.
After unpacking a bundle of roses they should be carefully examined individually. Should the plants appear shrivelled or dry, they can usually be quickly restored to good condition by burying them in damp soil for a few days. Do not have the soil very wet. Any damaged branches or roots should be cut off with sharp secateurs. The roots of unplanted roses should never be allowed to become dry. If there are only a few to plant keep the roots immersed in water or covered with a wet bag. If there are many they should be "heeled in" and lifted one by one as required. There is no great hurry about this, but the sooner they are moved to permanent positions the better. Rose roots are never idle; they will very soon throw out small roots and so commence feeding. Heeling in means digging a shallow trench, then laying the rose roots in it, covering them with soil, firming with light pressure, and watering. Attention to drainage and preparation of the bed is more important than the actual planting. |
