Roses bought in February: how to preserve flowers in boxes before planting

Increasingly, you'll see rose seedlings with shortened stems on the shelves of gardening stores. They stand out not only because of this, but also because they're wrapped in thick plastic film or in a colorful, tube-like box. These roses can be found and purchased even in the winter months, but the planting time is still very early.

How save roses before planting, bought in boxes in February? After all, you want even the early-bought seedlings to survive until planting time and delight you with their blooms when their time comes. It's important to know not only how to properly care for a plant but also how to choose it wisely.

Choosing rose seedlings

Here are a few tips to help you choose the right rose seedlings and store them before planting:

• You shouldn’t buy rose seedlings if their stems have not been treated with wax or paraffin;
• If you can't check the condition of the roots, you can look at the buds of rose seedlings. The best time to do this is when the shoots haven't yet emerged, but the buds are already beginning to emerge. It's best to avoid plants with large leaves, opting for earlier seedlings whose buds are still dormant.
• You need to choose seedlings that have 2 to 4 shoots with green, smooth bark.

Once you've chosen the right rose seedlings, you can move on to how to preserve roses purchased in February in boxes until planting. It's important to know how to choose seedlings, otherwise, the need to preserve them will disappear automatically, as poorly prepared seedlings will quickly die and fail to germinate.

Storing seedlings before planting

Recommendations on how to save roses Before planting, purchased in a box in February, will help you wait until the moment of planting the plant in open ground without damage.

• As soon as the seedlings are purchased, the shoots and leaves should be plucked immediately. They will dry out due to a lack of nutrients, and if they are not plucked, the buds will never awaken. Next, water the seedlings using a teapot with a narrow spout and store them in a cool place. The bottom shelf of the refrigerator is also suitable, as long as the temperature there fluctuates between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius. Store the seedlings in a cool place for no more than a month. Towards the end of the first month of spring, the seedlings can be moved to the balcony, covered with plastic or other material, in case of unexpected frost.
• When it is not possible to store roses purchased in February in boxes in a cool place before planting, you can do the following: remove the black plastic film from the roots, tear off the shoots and green shoots that are below the grafting level, since the roses are wild;
• If the roots of purchased seedlings appear dry, soak the rose in water for 24 hours. To reduce this time, you can add Zircon or Epin, strictly following the instructions. Then, trim the roots to 35 centimeters if they are longer. When cut, rose roots should be white or light yellow;

• After all these procedures, plant the rose seedlings in pots or plastic boxes filled with soil. You can feed the roses with mineral fertilizer for flowering plants;
• When planting in pots, do not remove the wax or paraffin from the stems, as this coating prevents the seedlings from drying out. Until the rose is established in the open ground, this coating will protect the flower from the sun's harsh rays. The wax can be removed from the part where the stem extends into the soil.

Knowing how to save roses before planting, bought in February in boxes, you can safely buy seedlings in advance and not worry about them going to waste.