There are many reasons why a rose bush can no longer remain in its place and has to move - be it because the plant doesn't feel comfortable there or you have to move it for structural or design reasons. The younger the rose, the easier it is to dig up, but you have to be more careful with older specimens.
Fall or spring are good times to dig up roses
The right time to dig up and transplant roses
To minimize the shock of digging up and transplanting, it's best to do this in the fall or early spring. The temperatures should be above zero at this point and the ground should not be frozen. A move in autumn also has the advantage that the rose bush can establish itself in its new location by spring and will sprout again and start flowering. If you cannot wait until autumn (e.g. to save an ailing rose), then make sure that the plant is not too dry.
Younger roses survive transplanting better than older ones
In general, it is easier to dig up and transplant younger roses up to four or five years old. The older a rose is, the larger and deeper its roots are - and the more difficult it is to get them out of the ground undamaged. You should try, though, because the more roots you keep, the better the plant will stand up to digging.
Watch out for the taproots when digging up
If possible, do the following when digging out:
- First, prune the rose bush thoroughly.
- Shorten the long shoots back heavily - to just under 40 or 50 centimeters.
- In addition, if you need to store or transport the dug up rose for a long time,
- it is best to remove all leaves.
- This reduces evaporation and ensures that the plant does not die of thirst.
- After pruning, dig up the rose.
- Prick deeply around the rose bush with a spade
- for younger roses about one to two spade depths,
- for older ones, you should dig a ditch.
- Now you can put a digging fork under the rootstock
- and carefully pry out the rose.
Carefully cut back crushed or otherwise injured roots with a sharp knife.
tips
After replanting, water the rose thoroughly and then cover it well with soil. The transplanted rose also needs good winter protection.