Gardening Questions and Answers

A new gardening question of the day appears every day of the year on the front page of Almanac.com. Below is the answer to one of the questions from our Gardening Questions and Answers Archive where you can find over 400 more gardening questions (with answers!).

When is the best time to move rose plants? Will they die if I move them in full flower?

The ideal time, for most of the United States, is early spring, when the soil is soft and easily worked, and the rosebush is still nearly dormant. The coming warm weather will help regenerate the bush. Fall is the second best time, toward the end of October or in November, if the soil is still reasonably warm. The plant will do better the longer it has to reestablish itself before winter cold arrives. You can transplant roses in mid-season, say June or July, but it's risky. Play it safe by pruning back the bushes by about one-third (which would remove your flowers). This helps the roses recover from transplant shock. To transplant, prepare the new location as if you were planting the bush for the first time, but include additional water and soil or mulch to prevent dehydration. Take care not to lose any roots, transfer quickly, and hill the soil or mulch to retain as much moisture as possible. Also to prevent dehydration, transplant on a mild, calm, cloudy day when rain is predicted. Be especially careful not to unnecessarily expose the plant's fine, white feeder roots to air, sun, or wind.