MRS FAQs Post: April 25, 2005

Paula, April 25, 2005 I know this sounds silly. I live in Colorado and am moving to Florida in a month. I have several rose bushes in my front yard that we planted when we first bought this house. My husband bought them for me for our first mother's day together. We didn't know it, but I was pregnant with our son at the time. They have been in the ground for six years. I want to know if I can take a cutting from them, or if I should dig up the bush and attempt to transport it that way. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

4/25/05 This is actually a good time to transplant roses. Most bushes are patent protected meaning you are not legally supposed to take cuttings from them. (It would have said that on the tag that came with the rose bush.) You will probably have much better luck transplanting the bush then trying to root cuttings, anyway. If they are large roses, cut them back to 12 to 18 inches tall, removing any dead or diseased wood. Dig down into the dirt, with a shovel, about 10 to 12 inches from the plant, to cut the roots. A day (or two) before you move, completely dig up the bushes, getting as much of the roots as possible. Either put them into pots or those plastic grocery store bags, with some of the soil covering the roots. Make sure it is moist. OR remove all the soil and wrap the roots in wet newspaper and and put them into the plastic grocery store bags. The top of the plant should also be covered with a plastic bag to keep it from drying out. When you get to Florida, put the roses in a cool area out of the sun. Make sure the roots stay moist. They should be fine this way for a couple of days. You don't say which part of Florida you are moving to. If it's the southern half of the state, plant them where they are shaded for half the day, preferably for the hottest part of the afternoon. In the northern half of the state they can take a little more sun but seem to do best if protected from the sun for at least 1/3 of the day. (Planting in full sun takes a lot more care.) Make sure to dig large, deep holes in the Florida sand. My preference for planting in sandy soil is to line the hole with a kitchen-sized trash bag (or larger), making sure to poke at least 10 to 12 finger-sized holes in the bottom and lower half of the bag. These holes are for drainage as well as to allow the roots to grow out when they become large enough. The bag will hold the good soil around the roots of the plant. Use a good soil mix of compost and dehydrated cow manure or something similar, and plant the bush into the bag. The top of the bag does not need to be above the ground. It can be covered with soil and mulch so it doesn't show. (I use the small grocery store bags for planting miniatures.) Water well. Become a member of the Central Florida Rose Society. http:/www.centralfloridarosesociety.org/ They have an incredible newsletter, packed full of information on how to care for your roses and deal with any problem! Wendy White MRS Member

Paula, you can try a cutting but it is the wrong season. Also, it takes 3 or 4 months to develop roots. You can transplant the bush but before you dig it up and wrap the roots in web swadust, strip all the leaves. What a hassle. Better you should order new plants when you get to Florida. Gary A. O'Neil MRS Member