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Transplanting Roses Made Easy

While the process of transplanting roses does require certain steps to be followed, the process is not complicated or hard.  If you have roses, you might be faced with moving them if they are not getting adequate sun or perhaps you are moving to a new home and have made an agreement with the buyer that some or all of the bushes would be taken to the new location. 

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 proper rose bush care, the bushes would grow strong and produce large, fragrant blooms to enjoy.

One of the first considerations when transplanting roses or planting roses 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.

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 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.   

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.