Growing Roses in Cloverset Pots 
PREPARING THE SOIL 
This subject is one that requires a great deal of experiment, 
and in spite of the twelve years we have been growing our plants 
in our Cloverset Pots, we are still each year making slight 
changes in the preparation of our potting soil. We find that if the 
soil is too rich we cannot get good root action immediately after 
potting, and if the soil is not rich we cannot get good growth dur- 
ing the growing season. Roses particularly require very rich 
soil, and while it is commonly considered that they appreciate 
heavy soil, we believe this is largely a mistake, and the soil must 
be light enough to be able to absorb and retain considerable 
quantities of moisture. We provide this condition by using good 
top pasture soil, adding about ten per cent peat moss and ten per 
cent shredded cow manure. This makes a fairly fertile soil, not 
too rich to retard root growth in the early Spring, but porous 
enough to absorb the fertilizer which we apply once each month 
during the growing season, and it also provides soil loose enough 
to retain the necessary moisture during warm weather. 
SOIL ACIDITY 
Considerable time and space is being taken up now in the 
flower and nursery journals about the Ph. or acidity of the soil. 
While it is generally conceded that roses do best in a neutral 
soil we are fortunately situated here in that respect as our soil 
shows by test to be practically neutral; but in other parts of the 
country very different conditions might exist, so we leave the 
question of acidity either below or above neutral to each of our 
friends for his own personal solving. A cheap soil testing outfit 
costing about $1.50 might be very helpful and might save many 
disappointments. 
WHEN TO START POTTING 
We have always started potting our roses along about March 
20th, which date we always considered to be late enough to be 
free from injury from late heavy frosts which so frequently come 
in this vicinity, and at the same time early enough to give us 
blooms for our Rose Show, which usually starts about May 20th. 
When potting time comes the important thing in our mind is to 
get our roses in the pots in a hurry, and with eight potters and 
ten helpers, we pot up and haul to our frames about two thousand 
roses per day, continuing this program 10 hours per day 7 days 
per week, never stopping until the job is finished. 
As our roses usually arrive in February they are unloaded at 
the cold storage plant where they are kept in a temperature of 
34 degrees until potting time arrives. We take the roses out of 
cold storage four cases each day (about 2000 plants) which makes 
a truck load, bringing them to our potting shed where the cases 
are opened, the roses cut back to about 6 inches above the union 
of the top and root (we use budded or grafted roses only) and 
the roots cut back to about 8 inches long. The soil having been 
ground very fine and all other supplies being ready, each plant 
is tagged and they are then ready for the potters. 
USING CLOVERSET POTS 
Our Cloverset Pots come nested ten in a stack. The stack is 
laid on its side and by pressing on the top of the pot causing it 
to collapse they may be easily removed from the stack. The pot 
is then straightened out so the tabs lie flat on the bench (we use 
fire shovels for handling the soil). The rose is then placed in the 
pot with the roots in as near natural position as possible and with 
the union or bud about one inch below the top of the pot, two or 
three shovels of soil are added, gently shaking the plant so as to 
allow the fine soil to fill in between the roots. We then begin to 
tamp the soil tight using a round stick for a tamper, and as the 
pot is filled with soil up to one inch below the top, it is shaped as 
near round as possible by the hands. Ordinary greenhouse flats 
are provided the potters, who tilt the pot slightly, slip the fingers 
under the bottom and lift it to the flat. This method of handling 
prevents the tabs from becoming out of place and the soil falling 
out. After the pots have been once watered there is no danger of 
the tabs at the bottom becoming disarranged or opening up as 
the wet soil will hold them in place thereafter. As the potted 
plants are now in flats, the flats are carried to our trucks and 
are on their way to our cold frames where they will be perma- 
nently located until sold. 
OUR COLD FRAMES 
Just north of our office on a southern slope of our nursery sur- 
rounded on all sides by an eight foot Arborvitae hedge for pro- 
tection from the strong Winter and Spring storms are located 
our cold frames. In this inclosure (100 by 300 ft.) we have 50 
frames, each 6 ft. wide and 27 ft. long, built up from 1 by 12 
Redwood boards, with cement paths between. In each corner of 
each frame climbing roses are maintained on trellises and arbors 
for display during our Rose Shows. 
Each of these frames holds 500 potted roses placed 10 across 
and 50 lengthways. Into these frames our roses are placed close 
together as they come from the Potting Shed. 
FIRST WATERING 
As soon as the frame is filled the pots are given a thorough 
watering and are then covered with a Burlap Blanket or sheet 
which cost $3.00 each and are 8 ft. wide and 30 ft. long, providing 
a good hangover at both the sides and ends of the frame. (These 
Burlap Blankets can be secured from us or from any bag 
company.) 
No further watering is necessary for the next three weeks (as 
keeping the roses too wet will retard root action) but in order 
to prevent strong winds from shriveling the tops before root 
action begins we spray the covers many times each day to pro- 
vide a damp atmosphere for the tops and to induce the eyes to 
swell. In about three weeks the eyes begin to show green and 
then the covers are removed in the day time and replaced at 
night. 
SPACING INSURES BETTER PLANTS 
As soon as the leaves begin to show we begin spacing the plants, 
taking some out of each frame, moving them to our Display Gar- 
den. This process is continued all through the Spring to give 
them more sunshine and more air, also to prevent tap roots form- 


