Can you tell me if/when I can transplant these Roses? Spring/Fall? Spring with some preparing done in the fall first? We recently bought a house in S.E. Texas and these bushes are awfully close to the house. I would like to move them to a bed that gets proper sun and that doesn't have torrential rain pouring from the rooftop down onto the roots. I'll be totally honest here... (lol) I am NOT a green-thumb when it comes to Roses. These appear to be barely hanging on if you look at the inner stalks of them. For the most part, there are a few big, dark colored, "old" stalks with new growth mid-to-high on the stalks. Are they worth trying to save? The (volunteer planted) Peppervine (?) in the first pic will end up overtaking the bush in the first photo if I don't move the bush. (That's what you see in the back close to the window, with the most height. It has put tendrils through the screen.) I've been doing some reading on Peppervine and read that it's hard to control. Thanks for reading. :-) Tiffany
Move during winter when tops least active. If leaves remain all year and concerned about wilting cut stems below leaves and pop out with fork and/or spade and replant promptly in new locations. Dig new planting holes before lifting to reduce time out of ground. Mulch and water in well. Avoid tendency to cut off roots close to stem when lifting by using straight-bladed spade or shovel rather than curved, also using fork to tease soil loose from roots and discover the extent of them. Roses are routinely sold bare-rooted, with all the fine feeder roots dead; potted roses sent to the retailer bare-rooted may have had roots cut back severely in order to fit into pots (this also dwarfs the tops, so that they don't quickly overwhelm the space in the block in the sales yard). So they are pretty tolerant of being cut back - if you screw up and cut the roots on some of them short they may still grow. (Also take care not to scrape the bark off the roots when trying to cut them in order to get the plants loose from the ground).
Thanks, Ron. I'm going to print your instructions. A couple other questions... on the bushes that only have a couple of "old" main stalks and have little new growth, should I do anything special to help them make the move, or should they have about as much chance of survival as the healthier looking bushes? Should any bonemeal or other type additives be placed in the hole before transplanting? Thanks again for your help. Tiffany
One of the most overlooked steps for successful transplanting, is sharpening the shovel with a file or grinder, or both. Sharp shovels do less root damage, less damage to the rest of the plant, can reduce ankle injury, and makes cutting into soil about 60% easier.
Replant in existing soil, without additives. Plants with substandard vigor may respond to transplanting or have some kind of diminishing problem like a virus that won't go away in response to new location. You will find roses, bone meal and possibly other topics of interest discussed here: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda Chalker-Scott/Horticultural Myths_files/index.html
M.D. Vaden, thank you! I will definitely get my shovel blade sharpened now. I hadn't thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense. I remember how easy it is to dig when that shovel is hardware-store new! Thanks for the extra tip, Ron, and also for the link. I'm on my way there to check it out now. Tiffany
If an "old" woody stem is not productive any more - i.e., is not producing as many flowers as before, just prune them off close to where it comes off the main "stem" - or bud union. It's probably a good idea to also prune off any weak, stringey stems and any stems that are damaged or diseased. Doing this will encourage the growth of new and thicker, more productive stems.
