Transplanting roses: when and how to properly transplant roses

Roses get more and more magnificent every year. Their canes can produce new shoots for decades and give us beautiful rose petals. But what to do if you have to move during your long life? Be it that the old place has become too small or doesn't really suit her. Can roses cope with the move? And if so, how can this be optimally designed?

Can roses be moved?

Sometimes the rose plant just doesn't thrive in its allotted space. If no care measures help and the rose only shows a stunted growth, a change of location could be worth a try. However, what about roses, which probably fill up in their current place. Do you prefer to leave them alone or can they be transplanted without hesitation? Some plants don't like it at all when they pull their roots out of their usual soil and have to move to a new location. Fortunately, the rose is not one of the sensitive plants in this respect. Nevertheless, some rules have to be followed when transplanting so that it grows well in the new soil and soon delights with its flower heads.

 The age of the rose matters

How well the transplant can succeed also depends in part on the age of the rose. The older a rose is, the more roots it has formed over the course of its long life. Under certain circumstances, these reach deep into the earth, far deeper than the spade can reach. Digging up these roots in a way that minimizes damage to them is the main challenge in transplanting.

• young roses are easy to dig up
• adult roses, five years and older, require more effort
• old roses can hardly be dug up with hand and spade

Hedge roses, climbing roses and historical roses that have had a few years of life behind them are more difficult to transplant. Digging up their roots undamaged and in full is very labor intensive. A spade alone may not be enough. A small excavator may even have to dig up the roots. It is up to the rose owner to what extent this effort should be made.

Autumn is the best season

A rose does not always have to be implemented immediately. If there is still time, it is worth waiting until autumn to do so. This is the time of year when transplanting roses is most likely to succeed.

• transplant from October
• before the first frosts come

The still mild temperatures above freezing are optimal for the quick rooting of the transplanted rose.

Spring is the second choice

If the rose has to leave its place and cannot wait until autumn, spring is an alternative planting time. However, the weather in spring in this country is occasionally capricious. It is quite possible that the temperatures will unexpectedly climb to summer levels for days or even weeks. The heat is a stressor for the transplanted rose. Keep an eye on it and always provide the plant with enough water.

• prevent dehydration
• always water sufficiently with water
• protect from the blazing midday sun

In the summer only if you have to

If the rose has to be consecrated from its old place in the middle of summer and time is of the essence, it doesn't have to end up on the compost heap. While summer is not the ideal time of year for transplanting roses, the situation is not entirely hopeless. The rose has to adapt to the new environment under difficult conditions, because the hot temperatures cause it stress. It is therefore important that it is not in the blazing midday sun and that the soil never dries out completely.

Alternative: Kübel as an intermediate station

A rose does not have to move to a new place in the bed immediately. It is quite possible to temporarily plant them in a large container.

• is especially useful in summer
• for small and medium-sized rose bushes
• the bucket is mobile and can be placed in the shade
• ailing roses can be better cared for
• move to their permanent location in autumn

Rose roots grow straight down

Before digging up the rose, it's important to know that the roots of this flower usually grow straight down. An exception are the historical roses planted ungrafted, which form offshoots. That being said, the rootstock is just below the shoots. This makes it easier to dig up the roots without damaging them.

instructions for conversion

Below you will find the detailed instructions for the successful transplanting of roses:

Prepare the new planting hole

So that the dug up rose can immediately move to its new home, the new planting hole should be prepared and waiting for it. So the dug up rose does not have to wait in the open air.

• loosen the soil well and deeply
• the roots grow more easily in loosened soil
• Dig a planting hole
• do not put fertilizer in the planting hole
• replace unsuitable soil with special rose soil

Cut back rose shoots vigorously

Every shoot of the rose must be well cared for at all times in order for it to grow optimally. It needs water and nutrients, which are supplied to it by the roots from the soil. When transplanting, however, many fine roots are damaged and the supply for the long shoots is no longer sufficiently ensured. It takes a few weeks for the rootstock to recover.

• cut back all above-ground shoots of the rose
• to a length of about 40 cm
• use clean secateurs

Carefully dig up the rose

After shortening, the rose bush can be dug up. This should be done carefully to damage as few roots as possible.

• the easiest way to do this is with a spade
• dig deep into the ground around young roses
• work in several steps for older and large roses
• first dig a trench around the rose
• then dig into the ground around the roots
• If the roots are too long, cut them clean with a spade
• Lost root mass grows back at the new location
• after circumnavigating it with the spade, carefully lift the rose bush
• Get the root ball out of the bed completely

Cut back roots

The more roots remain on the rootstock, the better the plant can be supplied with the nutrients and water it needs. But even with careful digging, some roots are unfortunately damaged.

• trim damaged roots
• use clean and disinfected secateurs
• leave intact roots

implement rose

The dug up rose should be transplanted into the prepared plant hole as quickly as possible so that the roots are not exposed to the dry air for long.

• Put the rose straight in the planting hole
• thickened place should be in the planting hole
• about three to five centimeters below the soil surface
• Fill the planting hole completely with excavated earth

Water the rose plentifully

The transplanted rose needs plenty of water because it cannot take care of itself sufficiently at the beginning. Give her 10L immediately after transplanting and keep watering regularly for the first few weeks. However, always water depending on the currently prevailing weather. Especially when the rose bush was transplanted in spring or summer, the water requirement is higher than when transplanted in autumn.

Pile up a protective layer of soil

The transplanted rose needs protection against drying out. Therefore, it must be mounded immediately after planting and watering. Shovel plenty of soil around the rose until you have formed a mound with it. This should cover almost the entire plant.

• always pile up, no matter what time of year you transplant
• only the tips of the shoots are allowed to peek out
• leave the mound for two to three months if possible
• only then can the rose bush be freed from the earth again
• or just let the rain gradually wear away the hill
• if planted in the fall, the rose should remain mounded into spring

Learn more about types of roses