How long does it take for a bare-root rose to “catch up” to roses bought in soil?
Bare root roses ‘catch up’ quickly with container roses, say within a month or so. The only time this is not true is if these are own-root roses; these tend to lag behind for a year or two; they are usually ‘antique’ varieties available from specialist growers such as www.vintagegardens.com or www.heirloomroses.com. Most potted roses at stores have not been in the pots long enough to make a difference. The only ones (potted or not) to avoid are bushes with wax on their canes; they tend not to do as well.
