Great Tips for Transplanting Roses

Sometimes, rose bushes have to be transplanted for one reason or another. For instance, if the plants were not getting appropriate filtered and direct sunlight, then the plants would die, meaning they need to be moved to a better location. Regardless of the reason, it would be important to learn a few important steps to make sure the roses do not die.

For starters, you want to have the new location where the roses will be transplanted to be prepared before taking the plant out of the ground. If you pull the plant out first, the root ball will quickly dry out and the plant will likely die. Now, if you move to a new home and are taking some of your rose bushes with you, make sure the roses are watered the day before transplanting. In addition, once you pull the plant out, make sure you wrap a damp cloth around the root ball and then wrap that with a piece of burlap. One of the most important steps associated with transplanting roses is to keep the roots moist.

If you water a day ahead, then the root ball is hydrated so damage during the move would be minimal. You could very well lose some of the rose bushes’ roots during the move, which is to be expected. For the new hole, this should be dug out prior to the move, making sure the depth is enough to accommodate the bush. For better success, we also suggest you place some compost and bone meal in the bottom of the new hole before setting the bush in it.

As a part of transplanting rose bushes, you will not need to worry about pruning until later. The main thing is to get as much of the root ball possible. Once you have the rose bush in its new home, you should watch for signs of damage or death of leaves and/or stems. If you see this, then you will need to prune the dying, damaged, or dead areas so the structure of the bush is strong and healthy.

The rose bush will also need proper support after being transplanted. If the top portion is not given adequate support, you might begin to see wilting, which will need to be pruned as well. As a part of the planting, the bud union on the bush should remain about two inches above the new hole. The reason for this is that as you water the bushes, they will begin to settle into the soil at which time the bud unions will settle too. As this occurs, gently pat the dirt around the base to give the plant a good hold in the soil.

Sometimes, people do not have the luxury of choosing when to transplant roses but if so, the best time is when the plant is dormant. At this time, the plant is not growing so any movement and being out of the ground would lessen the risk for the rose bush going into shock and dying. You will also discover that if the rose bush is transplanted while dormant, the amount of annual pruning will be less. Remember, have the new hole prepared, get as much of the plant’s root ball possible, and then be sure when in its new home, the roses are given lots of water.