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Moving an old, established rose in 4 steps
Transplanting old, established roses carries a certain risk.
There are always reasons to move a rose, though. Perhaps the rose bush has not developed at its original spot as hoped, the colour harmony is not what you wanted, a garden area is being completely redesigned, or you are moving house.
In any case, transplanting roses needs to be well planned. The risk that the rose will not survive the move to a new spot is too great otherwise.
Our example is a repeat-flowering moss rose 'Salet' that is being moved after almost 10 years. We transplanted it at the end of October 2018; the picture of the rose at the end of the guide was taken on 1 September 2019.
Transplanting roses: the right time for moving
A rose is in growth from its first shoots in late spring until well into autumn. If possible, moving it during this fairly long period - above all in summer - should be avoided.
So when can you transplant a rose?
That leaves a relatively short window for transplanting. Depending on the weather, it opens in autumn from mid-October until the beginning of March in early spring, and it is also interrupted by ground frost.
The best season to transplant a rose is late autumn and early winter. That means the months at the end of the year before the ground is frozen. Over the winter, the soil life around the roots can then establish itself and growth can start straight away in spring.
1. Preparing the rose at the old spot
While it is still in the ground at its present spot, the shoots of the rose are cut back before digging only as far as is needed to be able to transport it.
After pruning, it is advisable to tie the rose together. This makes it easier to dig out and handle.
Once the bush is prepared and there is enough room to work safely, the rose is dug out of the ground.
The task is therefore to keep as much of the roots as possible and not to damage them excessively.
Remember, roses are deep-rooted. It is therefore enough to cut in with the spade at a distance of 30 - 50 cm around the rose. The rose can then be tilted slightly to the opposite side, if possible by a second person.
If, when making the vertical spade cuts around the rose, a great many of its roots turn up and are damaged, you are digging too close to the root stock and should make the circle larger and start again from the beginning.
If the bush stands free all around, it should be possible, by tilting the whole bush, to see the main roots that go down into the depth. These must be cut as deep as possible. These often thick roots should, if possible, not be crushed and not be torn.
Several firm cuts with a sharp spade from different sides will do the job.
Once the plant is free, it can be transported to the new spot. If a longer distance has to be covered, the root ball should be watered and, if necessary, wrapped or tied.
2. Preparing the new spot
The planting hole at the new spot should be large enough to take the preserved root mass of the rose being moved and leave enough room for soil all around and below.
If you prepared the spot before digging out the old rose and it turns out that its root ball is larger than expected, you should pick up the spade once more.
When you think the new hole is big enough, the rose can be placed in it as a check. There should be enough room on all sides - also below - and 20 cm is rather little but sufficient if there is no other way.
Above all, make sure you get the rose into the soil at the desired planting depth. The graft union should on no account be above it; it is better several cm below the edge of the hole.
Now mix the excavated soil from the new planting hole with loose planting substrate and, if desired, soil activator. This can be quite a large amount; a wheelbarrow is a good mixing container.
3. Replanting the rose
Once everything is prepared, it is time - the rose can be planted again.
First, however, you should give your attention to the root system. The thick main roots are cut slightly; the fine hair roots are kept as far as possible and not cut again.
At the bottom of the hole, fill in planting soil in several steps until the desired planting depth is reached. To check, the plant can be placed in several times and taken out again.
Once that is achieved, the edges are filled in; in the end the plant should stand centred and as upright as possible by itself. Firming it down with your feet several times is possible and advisable. The new soil should be not too firm, but not too loose either.
4. Follow-up work - pruning and watering
The sweaty work of moving the rose is done, and a few final tasks remain.
If you have not already done so, now trim the above-ground shoots. In the end, considerably less remains than after a spring pruning - that is, at most a third of the original height. Not only the length but also the number of main shoots - provided there are enough - should be reduced. Old dead wood is removed at the same time, and of course the shape also plays a role. Overall, a thinned-out but harmonious picture should result.
This rather radical pruning ensures that the rose concentrates its energy first on forming new roots. If too many and too long shoots are left, the plant is too busy supplying them at the start of the growing season.
Since the roots have been badly affected by digging out and cutting, it may otherwise not be able to fulfil this task right from the start and 'gives up' or stunts. Having the courage to prune is really called for in this situation.
Finally, and in the following days if it is dry, the rose must still be watered well and thoroughly. We also recommend forming a watering ring straight away for the time ahead.
If frosts can already be expected in the near future, you can also winter-proof the rose straight away by mounding soil around it and covering it.
Transplanting roses: after the move
Congratulations, your old, established rose is now at its new spot and there is nothing left to do but wait for the new growth.
If you transplanted in autumn, occasional watering is recommended during longer dry periods and during bare frosts.
When new growth begins, a first check is due. After moving, it can come somewhat later than usual and bring a nerve-racking wait. If individual or several shoots have frozen back, cut them back, of course, to healthy wood.
If, against expectations, the rose has still not sprouted even in May, you should check with scissors or a knife whether the shoots are still green inside or completely dried out. If they are dry, cut back step by step until life shows again - at ground level if need be. Then water well on a lasting basis; even if not much is left, the chances are good that buds will still sprout from the graft or from shoots in the soil. If you have in fact transplanted a rose that was still in growth and after a few days it lets its leaves droop: that is normal to a certain degree; you should make sure it has enough water and possibly shorten it further.
We wish you 'good luck', strong nerves and a result as perfect as with our rose on the right,
The Schmid family
