Moving Roses from under Magnolias

Discussion in 'Rosa (roses)' started by joZ, Oct 8, 2008.

  1. joZ

    joZ Active Member

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    We purchased a home where the previous owners had two different rose plants living under two magnolia trees in almost complete shade. Another was living in an area equally lacking in direct sunlight. In two years none of them have bloomed very well.

    I would like to save them and move them to a sunnier spot but unless they are put in pots I have no room in my garden.

    My questions are:
    1) I don't know what type of roses they are. Anybody know?
    2) Can I tranplant these garden roses into pots and see them survive? Two of them are about 3 feet tall. One is still quite young.
    3) Can I transplant them during the month of October/November?

    I have a couple pictures of the few blooms I've been able to see...
    Any suggestions would sure be appreciated. I love roses !!
     

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  2. valleygardener

    valleygardener Active Member

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    With 20-30 thousand roses in commerce, it can be quite difficult to identify a rose by a photograph. However, the third photo (left to right)looks to me very suspiciously like 'Dr. Huey' which is the understock of the rose. The grafted rose has died and the understock has taken over. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

    Yes you can transplant them and have them survive. Oct/Nov is a good time to transplant roses.
    If you pot them up into some kind of container you will have to protect them from freezing over winter tho, and this can be tricky, especially since you have no ground space. Digging a hole and plunging a pot into the ground over winter is a good way to protect the roots from freezing - or the pots can be taken indoors to an unheated area.

    If you decide to dig them up and put them into a pot, cut back the canes fairly low on the plant, say somewhere between 6-12 inches. This may sound severe, but what you want is the plant to produce new basal shoots from close to the bottom. The problem still remains that you most likely will find you'll need to trim the roots back as well in order to get them to fit into a pot. When putting a rose, or any other plant for that matter into a container, you should use a sterile soiless mix, with the addition of a small handful of bone meal or super phosphate. Alfalfa meal is another good organic choice for roses as it contains (triaconanol) a growth stimulant. To add more confusion, container grown plants require a lot more attention than those in the ground which means feeding and watering on a regular basis.
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Yes the one on the right will be the ubiquitous 'Dr Huey' and therefore not one I would recommend keeping.
     
  4. joZ

    joZ Active Member

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    Thank you both for responding.

    I am unsure as to why Dr. Huey is disliked. I read up on "him" and some people really enjoy it's bright red colouring.

    I really appreciate your suggestions for taking the rose from the garden to a pot.
    I am curious though... if, during a cold winter, one puts it in a warmer place, like a garage, where there is little light, how will any of the roses weather in there?

    Also... should one put only one rose in a pot? or can mix two together? Esthetically, would this be incorrect?

    Finally, this might sound like a silly question... but if I have an old pot... and in it was sterile, soiless mix...do I have to dump it all and start all over with fresh stuff?
     
  5. valleygardener

    valleygardener Active Member

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    As it is said, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." There is no reason not to grow him if you enjoy the blooms. I can tell you that he has a propensity to mildew, and really Dr. Huey is a climber (HWich) so he will eventually grow long canes if allowed to. If you cut the canes back, you'll not get to enjoy as many blooms. Roses will do just fine in an unheated garage. While not completely dormant, there is little if any growth during our winter months. You don't need to store the pots until there is a threat of freezing temperatures. In my experience containers are not damaged until it goes to -5 C. I just keep my container roses close to my storage area and only take them inside when the weather is predicted to go below -5 C.

    As many roses as you wish can live in the same pot providing it's large enough. A large healthy hybrid tea or floribunda rose would need a five gallon pot in order to grow and flourish. And, if you have a pot with a soiless mix in it there is no need to start with fresh. Good luck with your roses!
     
  6. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    In addition to being a common remnant of failed grafts it is prone to spotting and marbling of the leaves, as can be seen in your photo.
     

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