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Of course, it is best to plant a rose bush once, and then just take care of it and enjoy the magnificent flowers and wonderful aroma. But sometimes the flower needs to be moved to a new location in order to clear the area for a new building, pool or playground. It happens that we plant a rose in inappropriate conditions, where it cannot develop normally and bloom profusely. Many landscape projects are initially created as dynamic, and include regular redevelopment. Transplanting roses in autumn to another place can be both a forced measure and a planned one – not all owners want to enjoy the same landscape from year to year.
When to transplant roses
Let’s look at when is the best time to repot roses. In fact, this can be done both in spring and autumn, the recommendations below show not mandatory, but preferable terms for moving bushes to a new place.
Autumn is the best time to transplant rose bushes in mild climate regions. The soil is still warm and the roots will have time to grow before frost. In the south, roses are planted two weeks before temperatures drop below freezing. Usually in the month of November there is the height of earthworks. Cool climate regions require October transplants, in cold conditions the best time is August-September.
But in areas with low temperatures, it is better to move roses to a new place in the spring. The same applies to places where it often rains, strong winds blow or the soil is very heavy.
Rose transplant
It is easiest to transplant roses at the age of 2-3 years. But sometimes it is necessary to move an adult, well-rooted bush. It is difficult to do this, but it is quite possible. We will tell you how to transplant a rose in the fall, correctly and without spending extra effort.
Site Selection
Roses are best planted in an open, well-lit area in the morning. It is then that there is an increased evaporation of moisture from the leaves, which reduces the likelihood of damage to the bush by fungal diseases. It is good if the plot has a small, no more than 10 degrees, slope to the east or west – spring melt water does not stagnate in such a site, and the risk of damping is minimized.
Before transplanting roses in the fall, study their lighting requirements – many varieties cannot stand the midday sun. Under the scorching rays, they quickly fade, the color turns pale, the petals (especially dark ones) burn and lose their attractiveness. Such roses are transplanted under the cover of large bushes or trees with an openwork crown, located at some distance from them so that the roots do not compete for moisture and nutrients.
For a flower, you need to provide protection from the north and northeast winds, and not place it in a deep shade. It is impossible to transplant bushes to a site where rosaceous plants have already grown – cherry, quince, cinquefoil, shadberry, etc. for 10 years or more.
Almost any soil is suitable for this flower, except for marshy ones, but slightly acidic loams with a sufficient content of humus are preferable.
Digging and preparing roses for transplanting
Before transplanting roses in the fall, they need to be watered abundantly. After 2-3 days, dig up the bushes, stepping back from the base about 25-30 cm. Young roses will be easy to get out of the ground, but you will have to tinker with the old ones. First, they need to be dug with a shovel, then loosened with a pitchfork, cut off the overgrown roots, and then rolled onto a tarpaulin or into a wheelbarrow.
During the autumn transplant, the shoots are not touched at all or only slightly shortened, all leaves, dry, weak or unripe twigs are removed. The main pruning of the bush will be carried out in the spring.
But it happens that a rose is dug up, and the landing site for it is not yet ready. Is there any way to save the bush?
- If you are postponing transplanting for less than 10 days, wrap an earthen ball or bare root with a damp cloth, preferably wet burlap or jute. Put it in a shady, cool place with good air circulation. Check from time to time to see if the fabric is dry.
- If the transplant is delayed for more than 10 days or indefinitely, the roses need to be buried. To do this, dig a V-shaped ditch, lay the bushes obliquely there, sprinkle with soil and lightly compact it.
Planting hole preparation
It is best to prepare pits for the autumn transplantation of rose bushes in the spring. But, frankly, you do it very rarely. Try to prepare the site at least two weeks before transplanting.
If your plot has good black soil or bulk fertile soil, dig holes to the planting depth, adding 10-15 cm. On depleted, stony or unsuitable soils for growing roses, a recess is prepared with a margin of about 30 cm. Prepare the soil for backfilling by mixing in advance:
- fertile garden soil – 2 buckets;
- humus – 1 bucket;
- sand – 1 bucket;
- peat – 1 bucket;
- weathered clay – 0,5-1 bucket;
- bone or dolomite flour – 2 cups;
- ash – 2 cups;
- superphosphate – 2 handfuls.
If you do not have the opportunity to prepare such a complex composition, you can do the following:
- soddy soil – 1 bucket;
- peat – 1 bucket;
- bone meal – 3 handfuls.
Fill the hole completely with water the day before transplanting.
Transplanting rose bushes
A good time to start working outdoors is a warm, windless, overcast day.
Transplanting roses with an earthen ball
At the bottom of the planting hole, pour a layer of the prepared mixture. Its thickness should be such that the earth lump is located at the required level. The planting depth is determined by the grafting site – it should be 3-5 cm below the ground level for spray and ground cover roses, and for climbing roses – by 8-10. Own-rooted plants do not bury.
Fill the voids with prepared fertile soil up to half, gently press it down and water it well. When the water is absorbed, fill the earth to the edge of the pit, lightly tamp and moisten. After some time, repeat watering – the soil under the transplanted rose should be wet to the entire depth of the planting hole.
Check the grafting site, and if it is deeper than it should be, gently pull the seedling and add soil. Spud the rose to a height of 20-25 cm.
Transplanting Bare Root Roses
Of course, it is best to transplant bushes with a lump of soil. But perhaps the rose was brought to you by friends who dug it up in their garden, or it was bought in the market. We will tell you how to properly transplant a plant with bare roots.
If you are not sure that the rose was dug up 2-3 hours ago, be sure to soak it for a day in water with the addition of root preparations. The bottom of the bush should also be covered with water. Then dip the root into a mixture diluted to a creamy consistency, consisting of 2 parts clay and 1 part mullein.
Pour the necessary layer of soil on the bottom of the planting hole, make an earthen mound on it, on which you install a rose. Gently straighten the roots around the elevation, preventing them from bending upwards. Make sure that the planting depth of the bush is as indicated above.
Gradually cover the roots with prepared fertile soil, gently kneading it from time to time. When the rose is planted, tamp the edges of the pit with a shovel handle, and gently press down inside the planting circle with your foot. Water abundantly, check the location of the root collar, add soil and spud the bush by 20-25 cm.
Post-transplant care
We’ve covered how and when to repot roses, now we need to see if there’s anything else we can do to help them get established as soon as possible.
- If you transplanted bushes late, just before frost, make additional watering.
- In warm, dry weather, water roses every 4-5 days so that the soil is constantly moist, but not wet.
- In the northern regions, in the year of moving the bush to another place, be sure to make the shelter air-dry.
Watch a video that describes the intricacies of transplanting roses:
Conclusion
It is easy to transplant a rose bush to another place, it is important not to make gross mistakes. We hope our article was useful, and you will enjoy the fragrant flowers of your pet for many years to come.