Transplanting Roses so you Have Strong and Healthy Plants

Instead of stressing about moving roses from one location to another, we want to show you some simple steps that would make the process easy and successful. Moving your roses is always a bit scary but if you find yourself in a position of needing to move the plants, perhaps to get better sunlight or because of moving to a new home, do not stress.

Regardless, you want to make sure you choose a place for the roses where they will get six to seven hours of direct sunlight and about five hours of indirect sunlight every day. That way with proper good rose bush care, the bushes would grow strong and produce large, fragrant blooms to enjoy.

One of the first considerations when transplanting roses or rose planting is the soil. In addition to making the hole where the bush would be moved to large enough for the root ball, you also want to make sure the soil is rich in nutrients needed by roses. Then for the healthiest bushes, adding a little bit of compost or bone meal to the bottom of the new hole would be ideal. Next, the day prior to moving the roses, make sure you water them extremely well and once the bush is pulled out of the ground on the day you move it, soak burlap or a cloth with water, wrapping it around the root ball to keep it moist. Otherwise, exposure of the root ball would cause damage or the entire plant to die.

With the root ball wet and the soil at the new location prepared, you are ready to start transplanting roses. Now, there is a chance that all the plants would make the move without any problem but if you were to lose one or two, do not panic in that this is expected. With the hole ready for the size of the root ball, you have a much better chance of ending up with large, colorful, and fragrant blooms.

As far as pruning, usually, transplanting roses would not involve any type of pruning until later on. To keep pruning needs to a minimum, just be sure the root ball you dig up is kept intact. From there, the bush would be set into the ground carefully. Now, the exception is that if you were to notice a bush showing signs of damage or any portion of the plant starting to die, pruning might be required but we suggest this be minimal.

As you set the rose bushes into the soil, make sure the top of the bushes have adequate support so blooms can grow big and strong. If for any reason,
the plant starts to look wilted or weak after being moved, you may need to cut the top portion back. Then, when placing the bud union in the ground when transplanting roses, always keep it about two inches above the rim of the hole. Over the following week as the bushes are watered, the soil will naturally start to settle and along with the soil, the bud union would fall into place. At that time, push soil around the plant’s base, covering the roots and giving the rose bush support at the bottom.

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.

Therefore, if possible, try to move your roses when they are dormant, giving you strong, healthy bushes. As long as the bushes have adequate sunlight, good soil, the proper size hole, good water, and support, the process of transplanting roses should not be overly difficult.