for September, 1920 



305 



Reasons for Fall Planting of Roses 



S. C. HUBBARD 



SPRING is undoubtedly the proper time for the growth 

 iif plants, but it is not always the best time for 

 planting'. In the more northern latitudes where 

 there is practically no intermediate period the cold, wet 

 Springs and the hot, dry Summers, Spring planting is 

 very unsatisfactory. 



Most rosarians have probably suffered a loss of plants 

 to a greater or less e.xtent in connection with their Spring 

 planting and have accepted it as inevitable. This loss, 



early in the season they frequently must be left in the 

 package until the soil is in condition to receive them. 

 With most nurserymen, the Fall is not as busy a time as 

 the Spring, and consequently more time will be given 

 in selecting the plants, and to the proper packing which 

 in itself is an important factor of successful rose growing. 

 It may be well to state here that a good, strong, fibrous 

 root system is worth more than any amount of top 

 growth. The root system of the dormant field grown 



m 



No. 2 



No. 1 



Xo. 6 



No. 4 



Xo. -S 



however, ma\- be reduced to a niiniiuum 1)\ j)lanling dor- 

 mant roses in the Fall, preferably about the middle of Oc- 

 tober, or any time before the ground freezes. 



There are several reasons for planting at this time. In 

 the first place, by ordering in the Fall one is more apt to 

 get stronger plants as they come directly from the field, 

 while in the .Spring, one often has to accept the left-overs 

 which are always of poor quality. Even though ordered 



plant is far superior to that of the ])ot grown rose which 

 one has to use in late Spring planting. 



On many soils in this latitude the earth is so cold and 

 wet in the early Spring that it is impossible to plant until 

 the middle or last of May and often not until the first 

 of June. As a rule, it is impossible to procure dormant 

 plants after the first of May. When they are obtained 

 later than this, they are not very satisfactory, as they re- 



