The reasons for transplanting roses are many. You might choose to provide additional sunshine for your roses. Or maybe you just want to switch a few plants around in the flowerbed. No matter the reason, there are issues that you must be aware of before removing the plant from the soil.
Planning
Transplanting roses isn't something you should do during the height of the growing season, unless it's an emergency (for example, house repairs require digging up a garden bed).
It's always best to transplant your rose bushes at the beginning of the season, when they're dormant, just before waking up. Cooler temperatures and a milder sun mean less stress on the plant.
You may even want to prune them before transplanting, to ensure that plant energies focus on the roots instead of cane growth and/or bloom production. Pruning will also make the plant easier to move.
Preparation
When transplanting roses, the roots should be exposed to the air and sun for as short a time as possible. So prepare the hole at the new location before you did up the plant. It's hard to gauge how large the hole should be without seeing the root ball, but an educated guess is better than digging the hole after the bush is out of the ground.
If your rose bushes will be out of the ground for more than a few minutes, wrap each one in a moist piece of burlap.
If transplanting isn't an impulse decision (and it shouldn't be), you can prepare your roses by watering them thoroughly the day before the transfer. Water is the key to a successful rose transplant.
Incorporate approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of bone meal into the hole in the location.
Digging Up Your Roses
When unearthing a bush, remove the maximum amount of the root ball that you can work with. It's important that you not cut off too many root tips, as this will retard plant plant development in the new location.
Include the soil that surrounds the root ball. Planting the roots with that soil in the new location should give your rose bush time to grow rootlets into the new soil.
Following the transplant, should the plant begins to wilt on its ends, it is an indication that it must be having problems boosting its main structure. If this occurs boost the quantity which you water it and you may prune all tips that will not get better.
Planting in the New Location
Place the plant a little higher than it had been previously so that it can take root inside the hole. Water thoroughly and then press down lightly on the entire area to remove air pockets from around the roots.
Successful Transplanting of Roses
Correct planning, careful preparation and removal, proper planting and sufficient water will ensure that your newly moved rose bushes will have stunning, thriving blooms that season and for many more to come.
This video may answer a few questions about transplanting roses.
