December 16, 2009

Transplanting Roses… Everything You Need to Know

On the odd occassion you may consider transplanting some of your roses. You could be just rearranging the the back garden or you may want the palnts to get more light. The reason you’re doing it doesn’t matter but the fact is, you really should learn a bit doing it.

Once you choose the new position for your roses, the first thing to do is get the spot ready. It’s important to do this first because the roors can dry out if left exposed for too long on a hot day. And, if your roses have a long way to travel then keep the roots damp during the trip

Some consider transplanting roses to be difficult however, if you get it right there will be no problems.

The key to successful transplanting is to make sure the plants have lots of water prior to removing them from the ground. A plant thats suffered from lack of water may very well die however when it’s well watered it can survive until it settles in to its new home.

However, losing some of the roots whilst transplanting cannot be avoided.

The roses roots tend to burrow deep in the ground–far past the point where most people will dig to remove the plant–keeping your plant hydrated greatly improves the success of a transplant. When you start digging up your plant, there’s no need to trim any healthy growth for it to remain unaffected during the ordeal, but when you have uncovered the root ball take as much as you can out of the ground.

You will not want to prune any of the healthy parts of the plant because they are vital to sugar production and pruning it away is not recommended. If you notice the plant drooping after the transplant it’s an indication that the roots are having problems supporting the plant. Give the plant more water to help it recover, and prune away any areas that do not recover.

Prepare to Transplant Your Roses

Once you dig the hole in the new spot, pour in three or so handfulls of bonemeal. Place the rose in the hole and make sure it’s planted higher in the ground than it originally was. Over time, when the soil settles, it will sink to its original depth. It needs to one ot two inches out of the ground and will star to settle in when it gets some water. Press the soil down around the base.

Many gardeners will tell you that it’s not a good idea to move roses whilst in their main growing time.

Moving roses when they’re dormant is a smart move because it improves the chances of success. Also, their normally pruned during this time so they will be easier to relocate simply because they are not as big. If you plan the move correctly and make sure they have planty of water, you should not have any problems.

Believe it or not, transplanting roses is a simple job and if you give it some thought you will not have any problems.

Peter Bourke is a passionate rose gardening expert… discover lots more tips & tricks about how to transplant roses quickly jump along to Best Care For Your Roses You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.

Filed under Rose Garden by Peter Bourke

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