we are moving can I dig up and replant 1 mini rose bush and 2 regular rose bushes ? Michigan is where I am.?

Question

I'd like advice about digging up and replanting my roses bushes We are going to be moving its fall here and cold in the 30 and 40 will it hurt to dig up and move my roses ?

Answer 1

I'm a designer/landscaper in the Chicago area with similar weather conditions as you have described. There are only a few plants that I have run into that do not consistantly survive late season planting and roses are one of those plants. I never like to plant rose bushes this late in the season. I've seen too many not survive the winter. My advice would be to work it out with your new home owners to allow you to return early next spring before bud break and transplant them to your new home at that time.

Additional Details: Sptfyr - great advice if you live in Oklahoma or the Carolinas! Upper Midwest winters are just a little bit different. It matters where you live and the harshness of the winter.

AD2: Jackson & Perkins says: "The best time to transplant your roses is in early spring, while they are still dormant. " Source: http://www.jproses.com/code_tips/06transplating.cfm

AD3: It's not an issue of the current temps. It's an issue of risk. An issue of your roses not being established and hardened-off before the really cold weather sets in. It's an issue of winter kill. I have seen this issue time & again on landscape jobs planted in November in this part of the country. My last employer would not let a designer in his employment plant a rose in November. We had to schedule them for planting the following spring. If we planted a rose in the late fall & it died, the cost came out of our pockets. This directive comes from a man who has been landscaping and planting roses in the upper Midwest for over 25 years!

AD4: That's a funny quote to use for your point of view!

From Dr. William C. Welch Professor and Landscape Horticulturist:
"They are best transplanted during the winter from late December through February."

And this from the University of Texas A&M! This certainly does not support NOW is the best time to transplant in Texas, which has a much milder winter than Michigan. You further state an assumption that these roses are already dormant. I didn't read that either. My own roses are still producing blooms and have full foliage. My roses certainly have not entered dormancy yet & we do NOT know if these roses have entered dormancy yet!

AD5: Since the NCH site (http://www.ncnhdistrict.org/aom/myths.html ) has been sited as a source, lets bring up another interesting subject. It's a myth that a rose needs to be pruned before transplanting. And I quote from the NCH site :

"The theory behind that myth is that the smaller root ball wouldn’t be able to support the large top structure, so whack the top back right away. However, remember all that a plant eats is the sugars produced by the leaves; the work the plant put into making its top structure was an investment in future food production. Why not let the plant itself decide how much of its top it can support? Removing more top structure than necessary shortchanges the plant. Therefore, you should actually transplant as much of the top structure as you can physically manage. Thereafter, the plant will tell you if it is having trouble supporting its top structure by wilting from the tips. That is a sign to increase watering immediately; any material that doesn’t recover and withers should be removed at that time; prune any dried cane tips to a leaf bud, and remove any dead leaves. When this process is done, the new top structure is in balance with the new root ball. Thus, to give the rose its best chance for vigor in its new location, ‘you may need to lightly prune after transplanting."

Answer 2

I've grown roses for more than 20 years and as long as your ground is not frozen then you can transplant them without any problems. Roses go dormant during the winter and suffer little to no transplant shock during this time. (((((Your current temps are appropriate and this is the perfect time for you to move them))))). Here are some instructions for transplanting that should make the transition easier.
Transplanting a rose
1) wait until evening when temps are cooler. Daytime is fine for you.
2) cut the rose back to about 2 or 3 feet.
3) prepare the new home by digging a hole 2ftx2ft and water the hole. Fill the hole with water and let it drain at least twice.
4) save the top 2/3 of soil that you just dug up and set aside. Discard the bottom 1/3.
5) amend the soil you saved with peat, bone meal, and garden compost.
6) in the bottom of the hole add a layer of manure 2-3 inches thick and then layers some of the amended soil on top of the manure. Do NOT set the roots directly on the manure.
7) use a shovel to cut around the rose bush about 18inches from the trunk all the way around.
8) Moving around the rose bush again, reinsert the shovel and pull down on the handle. Doing this all the way around will loosen the soil and begin to separate any long roots. Keep doing this until the rose can be easily removed (Don't worry too much if you break a root because roses are tougher than they look)
9) Remove the rose and wrap the root ball in burlap.
10) set the rose in hole making sure the soil on the root ball is a little above the level of the new hole. You want the rose to be on a small mound.
11) fill in the hole half way with the ammended soil and water. Once the water has run through then finish filling in the hole with the soil and water throughly.
12) Mulch around the base of the rose with straw for a little added insulation.

Good Luck

ADDITION: A potted rose would need to wait until Spring. Roses go domant quickly so If your roses are already hardened off which I'm sure they are since they are already in the ground and dormant then you can move them during the winter months. From Dr. William C. Welch Professor and Landscape Horticulturist:
"They are best transplanted during the winter from late December through February. Many garden centers order bare root plants for delivery in December and January. Immediately upon arrival, these plants are potted in containers. This method allows the planting season to be extended later into the spring. Most rosarians like to set out new plants during January and February so that the root systems can be well established before the hot weather arrives."
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/roses1.html

"Do you have to wait until winter to make the move? Not necessarily. Of course, the easiest time to transplant roses is during dormancy, and if that time works for your schedule that is the best time for both you and the plant. Weather is cooler and damper then, making the job more enjoyable for you and less stressful on the plant. After the annual pruning the plant is smaller and much easier to move around. And dormant plants don’t go into transplant shock since they aren’t growing or transpiring at this time so the demands on their roots are minimal."
http://www.ncnhdistrict.org/aom/myths.html

Answer 3

Since they are going dormant, the main concern is that there will not be time to establish new roots before the freeze. You should dig a larger than normal root ball allowance and put them in a larger container for transport - try not to disturb the root ball. Also cut back the canes by 1/3rd or more, you do not want the desiccation from the canes to stress the plant any more than the relocation. But you do stand a good chance of success - water them before you lift them and try to move them in the 40-degree weather instead of the 30 degree weather if possible. wrap the rootball well to keep it moist and avoid air drying during the drive. Get it in the ground at the new location immediately.

Answer 4

You know what. Give it a try anyway. If you leave them at the old house the new people will probably kill them anyway. Use a very large pot and all the roots you can get. Then plant and water them immediately at the new house. Good Luck

Answer 5

yes-the season is over & it is in the dormant stage