A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 When to cut and run...

So, winter approaches, and I'm planning on cutting back and transplanting a midsized hydrangea (moving from back to front of house), as well as doing similar for 5 rose bushes (cutting down for the year, and moving to new location in garden). What is the best way to do this? Do I prune and move at one and the same time? When exactly (I believe I'm supposed to wait another month or so for roses, but what about hydrangea?)? Do I prune, leave for a week, two weeks, more? then move? I want to be sure that I make these change with as little stress on the plants as possible...

Thanks in advance for all feedback!

Nicholas,
Here's the link to Bill's info here at the site.
Basics of Pruning Roses and Hydrangea\'s

This will give you some info on them,
I do not grow the hydrangea's.......
And roses I'm just begining with..(to understand)

I am not firmiliar with your area and moving plants in Dec/Jan. If I did that here,I'd have to dig through 12" of snow, break my shovel, getting into the ground, and kill the plant if I did get it out!!!
I'll leave that info to someone who lives out that way and your climate....
With it being N.Y.E. it might be a wee~bit of a wait til someone comes through, never know though!!

Weezie

you can move the roses now.I'd move them in the morning and have the hole ready before moveing.can prune roses now or wait till spring.but keep them watered well for a few months

I would not cut back the hydranger until after it blooms. The next season buds will be lost if trimmed back now.

Thanks all! Just to recap your collective advice:

I'll dig holes now, prune roses and move same day, and then keep well watered...correct?

re. Hydrangeas: they seem to bloom all year long...! Perhaps it's just my strange hydrangeas. Is there a particular month I should study closer for possible "end of bloom" status?

Cheers.

Hi Allthumbs! Glad to see you back around the forum.

My two cents on the roses, in our mild climate I've always been told to cut them back the first or second week of January, so you are right on schedule. I transplanted some roses last year in the late spring after they had started new growth and they really didn't like it, I lost one unfortunately. So I would highly suggest moving them now after you prune them, which I think you already decided to do anyway.

On hydrangeas, mine bloom all year round too. What I do is just cut off the dead blossoms and don't touch the stems. Next year's blossoms (or just next season's since we are lucky to live in Ca.) are being developed now so its really hard to prune a hydrangea, and I don't think it has to be done for the plant to be happy, or so I've read other places.

Thanks, Gardengal - I've dug four holes, and pruned three bushes. Am taking my wife to Cambria for three days for her birthday, so when we get back I'll prune the other 5 rose bushes, and then begin moving them. re. Hydrangeas, I'm leaving everything for now, and will worry about in a couple of weeks. The challenge lies basically in how to transplant the hydrangea effectively without pruning...I have to move it from the back of the house to the front...

Cambria!!!!! My favorite vacation spot. Hang onto your hats, they're still shaking up there. We cancelled our trip there, this month, because we're scairdy-cats

hey nicholas, i was re-reading your posts and thought of something i read at another site... if you dig around the hydrangea, and under... then when you get it pried up (good luck, they are a bear to dig up - that is from experience, though it can be done) either slide it onto or slide under it a large tarp then just drag it to it's new locations. that way you don't actually have to "pick" it up. that lessons the need to cut it back to a "handle-able" size. you only have to be able to get the roots loose. for that, i recomend a fiberglass handled shovel as i broke 2 wooden handled shovels trying to dig one up one time! i actually just left it there and pruned it VERY hard that year. good luck and let us know how it works!

Have moved the hydrangea, per your suggestion (although I did cut it back a bit). It now sits quietly by my front door, as I eagerly hope for imminent green growth!

The roses are all transplanted and seem to be okay (no telling really until a couple of months from now, though).

Thanks for the advice!