A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Relocating a Rose

How and when should I relocate a small rose bush? This rose bush was in a random garden in the yard that we decided to remove. It has never flourished and seems to struggle every year. Where would be a good place to put it?

Thanks,
Sarah

roses need at least 6 hours of sun to bloom well, so it would be best to put it in a sunny spot. They also like regular watering, but not wet soil. The best time to move it would be early spring when you start to see new growth. You should also add some compost to the planting hole and/or fertilize it.

a good sunny spot with well-draining soil is a must. when you move it, i'd also add some rose food (get the pellets) to the hole before you put the bush in.

best time to transplant is early spring. and do it on a day that's overcast...or early morning when the sun isn't so harsh. and you'll want to have the new spot already dug up before you take the bush up from where it is now. keep the bush out of the ground for as short a time as possible!

Can roses get too much sun? Are there plants that just shouldn't be planted next the roses? Are they supposed to have something to climb on?

i suppose there might be some varieties that would have a limit on how much sun they can take.

all mine get sun virtually all day long and they do very well. i've got 3 that are 'climber's and the rest are just the regular bush type. none are the 'floribunda' type - i think that one might need some shade during the day, not sure about that, tho.

is your rose a bush type or a climber type?

Be prepared for a very long tap root. You want to get all of it rather than cutting it off. And you want to do the double watering to make sure that it is planted at the same depth that it was before. Everything else has already been said. Good luck with your rose.

All my rose bushes are floribundas (they are just so tough). I have one on the east end of my porch (no brick wall behind it) that does quite well. But the other one is off the west end of my porch and does much better (again, no brick wall behind it). Both get either morning or afternoon shade. I don't know how hot it gets in Kansas but it gets real hot and humid here in MS which is why I wanted mine to have some shade. Maybe this will help you decide where to put yours.

Joclyn, ummmmm, my rose bush has thorns, does that help?? lol I have no idea what kind it is. After 5 years of growth, it is only about 2 feet tall. And it's only bloomed once...last year. Pink, I think...

I think I'll put it in a spot where it gets partial afternoon shade. It gets pretty hot here--100's with TONS of humidity. And I think the afternoon sun is the harshest.

when you dig your hole make shure you dig it twice the size,
just a note roses like acid soil, i give my roses all my left over coffee grounds,

they also liks tea, bannannas and egg shells

sarah i have a rose bush thats pink too
rose-bush.jpg" alt="[Linked Image]" class="post-image" style="height:auto!important;max-width:100%!important;"/>

sarah, rofl about the thorns!!!!

if it's still smallish in size, then it's probably a regular type rose bush (if it was a climber type, you'd know it as there'd be at least one cane that would grow outrageously long). too much sun or too little sun as well as improper soil can cause them to not grow as well as they could.

you can amend the area where you're going to transplant so that it is well-draining and has some manure or compost added. also, mulch around the bush when you've got it transplanted...just leave the area at the base of the bush clear of mulch - about an inch and a half wide. you don't want the mulch to be touching the base of the bush (or any plant, btw) as that can cause problems. also, when watering, give a good shot to the base and then do a thorough watering around the bush at the 'drip line'; let it soak in for about a 1/2 hour and then do another swing around the drip line again. the 'drip line' is the area right under the outermost leaves. watering at the drip line causes the roots to spread out to reach the soil that has the moisture and you definitely want the roots to spread out and become properly established! water every day (unless it rains) for the first 2-3 weeks. for mulch, i use licorice root mulch...it's been very good for all my plants and bushes.

good idea for afternoon shade if the sun is that bad in the pm!!

and i forgot about the tap root...tk is right! make sure you get the whole thing!!

My soil is hideous. Even the extention agent says if you're going to grow a garden it's easier to move. It is terribly sandy and so I've been doing my best to amend to hold moisture. Thankfully, I've got a compost pile and will use that in the hole with the rose bush. Putting compost in there isn't going to create the "bathtub" effect is it?

Where do you get licorice root mulch? The only types I've seen available here are bark mulches (cypress and pine), and black plastic "mulch" in a roll. But maybe I haven't been looking in the right places?

you should be fine adding compost to an area that is twice as large as the root ball. make sure you go down at least a foot as well. actually, the sand is not too bad a thing...roses don't like to have 'wet feet' so the sand will help with drainage.

i've bought the licorice root mulch at lowe's, home depot, walmart and sears hardware. it's actually made locally (in nj) and they're the only company that makes it (their main business is extracting the licorice from the roots and they started selling the roots instead of just dumping it). it's in a white back with black lettering.

I work at Sears, so I'll have to ask around tomorrow to see if it's something that we'll carry come spring time. I sure wouldn't mind getting a discount. I really doubt that it is available here though.

Thanks for your help, without you I'd probably just kill the rose!

Sarah

i'm sure they'd be able to get it in...the sears hardware near me has it, so it's definitely an item that would be on the inventory list from the main warehouse.

the brand name is right dress.