Rose & Flower Buying Guide | How to Choose Seedlings and Online Shopping Tips

Roses are known as the "Queen of Flowers" and are one of the most popular plants in gardening. However, with the vast number of varieties and multiple types of seedlings available, beginners often struggle with how to choose. This article explains the key points for purchasing rose seedlings online and the planting methods.

Differences Between Large Seedlings and New Seedlings

Rose seedlings are broadly divided into two types: "large seedlings" and "new seedlings." Understand the characteristics of each before making your choice.

Large Seedlings (Oo-nae) - Seedlings grown for more than one year after grafting - At least 2-3 thick branches - Roots are well-established and grow immediately after planting - Sales season: October to March (primarily fall-winter) - Price: Around ¥2,500-¥5,000 - Most recommended for beginners

New Seedlings (Shin-nae) - Young seedlings approximately 6 months after grafting - Thin branches, plant not yet fully developed - Priced at about half of large seedlings, more affordable - Sales season: April to June - Price: Around ¥1,000-¥2,500 - Focus on plant development in the first year rather than flower blooming

Bare-root Seedlings and Potted Seedlings - Bare-root seedlings: Exposed roots. Limited winter sales. More affordable. - Potted seedlings: Already planted in pots. Available year-round. Can enjoy flowers immediately.

For beginners, purchasing large seedlings sold in fall-winter is recommended.

Tips for Selecting Varieties

There are tens of thousands of rose varieties. Narrow down your choices with the following points.

Choose by ease of cultivation (beginner-friendly varieties) - Knockout: Extremely disease-resistant and blooms even with minimal care - Iceberg: Famous white rose. Hardy and produces flowers abundantly - Pierre de Ronsard: The representative climbing rose. Magnificent flowers and disease-resistant - Queen Elizabeth: Large pink blooms. Difficult to fail even for beginners

Choose by cultivation space 1. For pot cultivation: Shrub type. Grows compactly 2. For fences/arches: Climbing roses. Requires ample space 3. For flower beds: Shrub type (semi-climbing). Adds color to flower beds with natural form

Choose by fragrance - Damask fragrance: Classic rose scent (such as Houjun, Papa Meilland) - Tea fragrance: Refreshing tea-like scent - Fruit fragrance: Sweet fruity scent

Choose by blooming pattern - Continuous blooming: Blooms repeatedly from spring to fall (beginner-friendly) - Once-blooming: Blooms magnificently only once in spring - Recurring bloom: Blooms occasionally after spring

Points to Note When Ordering Online

Here are points to confirm when purchasing rose seedlings online.

What to check in the product listing - Whether the variety name is accurately stated - Rootstock type (Rosa multiflora is standard) - Grafting timing (indicator of seedling age) - Whether the photo shows the actual plant (individual variation is significant for large seedlings)

Shipping considerations - Whether bare-root seedlings are wrapped in moistened newspaper to prevent root drying - Whether potted seedlings are packed to prevent soil spillage - Whether there is protection against branch breakage - Specify a delivery date when you can open the package immediately

Seedling characteristics to avoid - Branches too thin (thinner than chopsticks) - Long white shoots extending (sign of etiolation in darkness) - Swelling at the base (possible crown gall disease) - Mold present

Steps for Planting Seedlings After Delivery

Here are the planting steps to ensure your delivered rose seedlings grow healthily.

For bare-root seedlings 1. Soak roots in water for 2-3 hours immediately upon arrival 2. Trim damaged roots with scissors 3. Dig a hole at least 40cm deep and wide (8-inch pot or larger for container planting) 4. Mix basal fertilizer (rose-specific fertilizer) into the soil 5. Plant so the graft union is above ground 6. Water thoroughly 7. Stake and secure

For potted seedlings 1. Transplant into one size larger pot without disturbing the root ball 2. Use rose-specific potting soil 3. Match the height of the root ball surface to the new soil 4. Water thoroughly

Post-planting care - Keep in partial shade for one week after planting - Water thoroughly when soil surface is dry - Apply fertilizer once a month starting two weeks after planting - For new seedlings, remove the first buds to promote plant development

Tips for Enriching Your Life with Roses

Roses can be enjoyed not only by planting them in gardens or on balconies, but in various aspects of daily life. Display them as cut flowers indoors to transform your space with elegant ambiance and rich fragrance. You can also enjoy them long-term by drying them into dried flowers, or preserve their fragrance by making them into potpourri.

While rose cultivation has a reputation for being labor-intensive, beginners can fully enjoy it by selecting the right varieties. Modern new varieties have significantly improved disease resistance, greatly reducing the need for pesticide applications. Varieties known as "landscape roses" or "rambling roses" can produce beautiful flowers with minimal or no pesticide use, making them an environmentally friendly choice.

Visiting rose gardens or public rose exhibits allows you to compare hundreds of varieties at once, helping you find your preferred varieties. Events such as spring rose festivals and autumn rose festivals held throughout the country are also a delight.

Through rose cultivation, experiencing the passage of seasons and taking time to engage with plants will surely bring richness to our busy modern lives. Start with just one pot and experience a life with roses.

Basic Rose Cultivation Techniques

Here we summarize the basic techniques for keeping roses blooming beautifully.

Watering tips Roses love water, but excessive moisture causes root rot. For in-ground planting, relying on rainfall is generally sufficient, but during hot, dry summer periods, water thoroughly in the morning. For potted roses, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries out, watering until water drains from the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizer management tips Roses are known as "heavy feeders" requiring abundant nutrients. During the growing season (March to November), apply liquid fertilizer twice monthly and apply organic fertilizer as basal fertilizer. Thank-you fertilizer after flowering is particularly important for the next bloom.

Pruning basics Remove spent flowers when they begin to fade, cutting just above the five-leaflet leaf. Perform heavy winter pruning around February, cutting branches back to one-third to one-half their length. Always cut above outward-facing buds to encourage outward growth and improve air circulation.

Disease and pest prevention For preventing black spot and powdery mildew, ensure good air circulation and apply fungicides regularly. Mulching around the base of plants is effective in preventing black spot infection from rain splashing. Remove aphids as soon as found, as they gather on new growth.

Find Roses & Flowers on Botachoku

On Botachoku, you can purchase seedlings confidently offered by rose breeders and flower growers. With detailed variety descriptions and photos of actual plants, you can verify flower color and tree form. You can also consult about cultivation methods directly through our messaging feature, making it ideal for those new to rose growing.