How deep should I set my rose bud union ?

Question

I bought this “fairy rose” from local Walmart. It was not being cared for properly and as you can see from the picture it’s bud union has grown quite high out of the original container it is in. I need to repot it in a bigger container for my balcony but unsure how deep to set the bud union in soil. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Answer 1

I’m sure you would receive conflicting advice if everyone chimed in. To me, the first question is “is this rose healthy enough to bother with?”. Those dark brown to black canes are diseased and must be removed, probably all the way. Has the disease entered the crown? If so, its a goner – maybe not next year but soon. The center of a cut cane should be whitish, not tan and certainly not brown. A thin green ring just under the “bark” should be visible. If white and green aren’t present, cut back further, cleaning pruners between cuts. This isn’t the right time of year for annual, routine pruning. But Now is always the best time to prune damaged, dead or diseased canes. I see you are in Vancouver and not the frigid north. (Cold winter areas have to bury the bud union 2 + inches deep.) My instinct, not scientific or classroom knowledge is to Not bury that large old wound. I can’t tell how well calloused it is and who knows what will happen to it if it is buried and wet, especially in your wet winters when it is dormant and not able to protect itself. I worry that it will be an entrance for disease. The skinny is, treat it like a bare root plant and plant it so the old wound is just above soil line. See if the following video/written instructions are helpful.
https://www.davidaustinroses.com/us/advice-and-inspiration/how-to-plant-a-bare-root-shrub-rose