Transplanting Roses

If you grow roses, expect that at some point, moving them from one location to another will eventually happen.  For instance, transplanting roses might be due to the initial location not providing the bushes adequate sunlight.  For roses to grow strong with magnificent blooms, they need about six hours of direct and five hours of indirect sunlight daily.  Therefore, to be sure the roses are healthy and strong, they may need to be moved if they were not planted correctly the first time.

Now, before transplanting roses, it is imperative that you make proper preparations first.  This means getting the soil ready and the hole where the bushes will be placed.  Roses have what is known as a root ball and if exposed for too long, the bush would die.  In addition to proper soil, you want to make sure the day prior to transplanting roses that they be watered well.  Even with this, once the bush is taken out of the ground, the root ball should be wrapped in a moist cloth or piece of burlap so it stays wet until it goes back into the ground.  Of all steps taken for this process, keeping the root ball moist is one of the most imperative.

Again, if you water the rose bushes the day before you move them then the root ball should be hydrated so no damage is done.  Keep in mind, the process of transplanting roses could result in some bushes not making it.  While sad, the weaker bushes would likely have a more difficult time surviving than the healthier bushes.  Along with water, you also need to get the hole ready.  Of course, the new hole has to be large enough to accommodate the root ball and for giving the roses the best chance of survival and a means to thrive, you might consider putting bone meal and compost in the hole before the bush goes in.

Transplanting roses requires little work and as far as pruning, this would not need to be done until down the road.  When you dig up the original rose bush, we also suggest that you dig up as much of the root ball that you can and then place carefully into the new hole.  Once the bushes are transplanted, there is a chance that some pruning might be required.  For this, simply watch for damage of any portion of the bush dying.

Another aspect of transplanting roses or rose planting is the support the bush would need when in its new home.  The top of the rose bush must be supported.  In some cases, the top might begin to wilt at which time some pruning would be needed.  Keep in mind when planting the rose bush, the bud union should be approximately two inches over the rim of the new hole, but as you water it, the bush would begin to settle into the soil and the bud union would also settled down, ending up below the top of the hole.  Once the plant settles down, just push some of the soil around the base of the bush, giving it needed support.

While the best time of year for transplanting roses is when the bush is dormant, if you are moving from one home to another, you may not have luxury of waiting for dormancy.  The reason this is so helpful is that when rose bushes are dormant, they are in a state of rest, meaning they are not growing.  Therefore, transplanting roses at this time keeps the plant from going into shock or even dying.  In addition, if you have the chance to move the plant while dormant, chances are pruning needs would be decreased.  The bottom line is that for transplanting roses, you want to have healthy soil, a hole large enough to accommodate the root ball, keeping the root ball well watered, providing the plant with support, and choosing a location with proper sunlight.