RoseTransplanting
by Michael
West wall of home
QUESTION: I have to do some rose transplanting. My new home has a very narrow foundation planting bed crowded with roses. I need to transplant them to a better location on the property. They are mostly well established climbing roses. When we saw the home last fall the bushes were up all the way to the gutter and hanging out over the sidewalk so far you could not pass by. They were severely pruned back sometime in late fall or winter before we purchased the house. The roses are a well established foundation planting next to the west house wall in a 3' wide bed. Since they are against the west brick wall of the house they only receive direct sun in the afternoon. It is Mid-March here in Northern Colorado and our plants have not yet budded out. Which of these options do you feel would be the best solution for this situation? 1: Root prune now as best I can and move them later in mid-spring. How long should I wait for new roots to develop? 2. Dig up as much of the roots as possible and hope for the best. 3. Propagate new clones using the stem type air rooter pots I received as a present this year. My wife purchased them from Lee Valley Tools. Thank you for your help with this. I have provided you photos of them taken today 10 March 2011. ANSWER: Hi Michael! Looking at your pictures, thank you, I think the climbing roses could survive a transplant. But only if you do it right. The first thing to do is root pruning, as soon as your soil is workable. Then wait at least 6-8 weeks to allow feeder roots to grow. Before transplanting the roses, prepare a home for them in sunny (6 hours) location. Dig a hole 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep. And fill the hole with water, to see how well the soil drains. Roses MUST have well drained soil, or they will die. You need to purchase some Rose Transplant liquid, to prevent them from going into shock. Follow the instructions on the label carefully. Buy some good compost and mix it 50-50 with the soil you removed from the hole. Add a cup of bone meal and mix it with the soil. Make a well around the newly transplated rose, and fill it with water several times. Deep water every 3 days, unless you have good rainfall. Do not prune the rose at all. Leave it alone to grow back flowering canes. This could take a couple of years. Meaning the climber might not bloom for a couple of years. When you see budding on the canes and the plant is starting to leaf out, give it some good rose fertilizer. Always water before feeding a rose, and also after. |
