help! I've never grown a rose before...

[queen of the cobs]

someone has very kindly given me a rosa 'celeste' in the form of "potted rose suckers". It looks like 4 twigs sticking out of a pot of very dry earth.

What should I do? Will it need repotting? is now the time? should it stay inside till the frosts have passed? Will it be ok in shade?

many thanks.

[nick the grief]

Hi QOTC,

It will be OK in the pot outside just keep it somewhere sheltered (up against a house wall would be good) and make sure it doesn't dry out too much.

I wouldn't bother re-potting it as it won't really be getting going for a bit. I think Celeste is an old shrub rose so just decided where you want it and then plant it out.

Best way of looking after it is wait to see how tall it is when it flowers and then prune half way between it's height now and the flowering height, do this every year and you should get a good bushy rose. You might need to summer prune it otherwise you may not see the flowers - depends how vigorous it is.
Hope that helps

[queen of the cobs]

thanks very much - it's very dry now, I'll water it a bit and hope it will be ok.

[Sue]

Queen of the Cobs
I had 3 sticks in a pot three years ago and now have a 7ft climbing rose, I'd never "done" roses before either. Flushed with success I then got some more and they're all doing fine and if I can do it....
I was told to dig in banana skins around the base for the potassium. I hate bananas and can't stand the smell so I bought one for each of the four roses and made my sister eat the bananas behind the shed. She was not pleased but still, my roses did get their banana skins dug in.
Sue