January 14, 2011

Transplanting the rose bush

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I picked a great day to do the transplanting--a very cloudy day and the day after, rain and snow. Perfect! This red rose has been in the garden for about five or six years and I"ve never paid any attention to it or given it any care. But I decided I could move it to the new house and put it in a corner hole, I'd already dug where I could see it out of the sliding glass doors and where it could brighten the patio area I have planned.

The root ball was about two feet across and I had to break off a large piece and leave it in the original spot.. I put potting soil and composted steer manure in the hole and mixed it around. The root ball was so big it didn't leave much room for filling in around the plant, but I packed in as much dirt as I could and stepped on the filled hole to make sure the roots were touching dirt. It's not a good idea to leave air next to the roots.

I pruned off the branches and the roots before planting. A friend of mine kept reassuring me that you can't kill a rose and I hope that the case, but I'm very excited to have this new plant where I will be able to enjoy it's blossoms all summer long.

At Double Red Knock Out Rose Bush