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Transplants? Not doing very well :(

15 years ago

Hello Rosey Friends

I have transplanted a number of Roses in the past and they have made it through, this time I am not so sure this group will make it. I took out a number of Roses that unfortunately were not on a schedule for past few years meaning me taking care of them (maintance). Before moving them I cut dead wood and pruned. i prepared each hole with organic matter/ watered. A few weeks later sprayed Messenger and a few days ago gave them Bayer. When I first moved them they seem to like it, as to say "thank you" recently the leaves have yellowed and are falling off!!! I moved them when were were having quite a bit of rain but now I have to water them and I am careful not to over due it. I am wondering if it is because we now are very warm and when I moved them it was cool, damp and rainy. Some of the Roses are New Dawn, Iceberg, Bonica & Sally Holmes. The roses range from 9 to 6 years old.

I thought with the yellow leaves and falling off it meant over watering but that hasn't been the case. Maybe a delayed shock of being moved?

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I really want to save them!

Many Thanks

Chantel :)

Comments (15)

  • 15 years ago

    No fertilizers, right?

    How long has it been since you moved them? Are the canes blackening and withering, or are they just dropping foliage?

    Jeri

  • 15 years ago

    Chantel, the Bayer is likely the problem. It is VERY easy to burn plants with any fertilizer, but Bayer applied to the soil has outright killed established roses. Newly transplanted ones have much less root system and are much more easily damaged by the salts and other chemicals. Your best bet is probably to just keep them watered, overhead preferably, so the canes and remaining leaves can absorb the water, too and help flush the salts and "protective chemicals" from the plant and soil. I think the combination of heat, lower humidity, brighter sun and the Bayer/Merit application may be a bit much for them at this stage. Kim

  • 15 years ago

    I suspect Kim's right.

    A well-known rosarian once stated in a forum years ago that the business of fertilizers killing a newly-planted rose was "an old wive's tale."
    I was quick to inform him that I knew it could be done, because I have done it.
    Moreover, it was a newly-purchased, quite rare (at the time) Old Rose that had been purchased in a container for the (then) breathtaking price of $35.00.
    My husband reminded me of that at least twice annually, for 20 years.

    Jeri

  • 15 years ago

    I agree - don't feed them, and don't spray them with anything. Just make sure they have enough water, and leave them alone. It may take them several weeks to recover from being transplanted and fed Bayer.

    Jackie

  • 15 years ago

    I had two roses that I transplanted in April and then it went up to 90 degrees. They both lost all their leaves and some canes, but they came back. Luckily they were own root, other wise I may have lost them. Just keep them moist and stop fertilizing.

  • 15 years ago

    Okay thank you every one! I guess I should not have fertilized them! UGH! I thought because they were older roses they would need it. Hopefully they will come back - I think the two Sally Holmes will make it and maybe New Dawn but the others look like they are on their way to Rose Heaven!

    Some of they yes are just yellow with leaves falling off but others today look black. :(

    Thanks everyone for you help!

    Would the tea help or stress them more if so I will just keep watering?

  • 15 years ago

    Skip the tea and just keep watering but not so much that you drown them.

    Some of my transplants take a year to recover, even without getting any fertilizer. Sometimes they just don't want to be moved.

  • 15 years ago

    Listen to hoovb. NOTHING but water. The issue is the plants are water stressed from lack of roots. Putting fertilizer on them was like watering them with salt water, which drew more water out of them, making them more water stressed. Adding tea or anything other than water, will stress them further. It IS possible to kill them with more stress. Only water! Kim

  • 15 years ago

    The best time to move large roses in New England is at the beginning of Spring, just as the ground thaws. I just move the bare root plant--no soil. This lets me separate the root system from invasive tree roots. If I move a big root system I can have a nice specimen plant in the front yard that looks great in a couple months--like it has been there for years! I just did this with a Red Fairy we got in 2004.

  • 15 years ago

    Just keep watering them, they'll probably perk up. I had the same experience myself last spring when I moved two roses. It had never happened in the past, I always had good luck moving roses early in the season, but last year the weather really heated up and we had a lot of sun. The leaves on both transplants started turning yellow/brown and falling off. But they recovered about a month later and regrew the leaves, now they are fine.

  • 15 years ago

    Hiya Chantel!
    I always just used water and occasionally a vitamin B additive to the water. I'm betting they will perk up in no time. They are probably shocked that you moved them and are pouting. :) I've missed you!
    Carlota

  • 15 years ago

    Okay Everyone I will stick to just water. They look awful and I moved them as soon as I could we had a very very very cold winter here. But I have moved roses in the middle of the summer before (not by choice) they did fine. I think I had just neglected too long the move though pleasant in the beginning became too much because I fed them. Thanks for all of your help - I just hope they make it. I appreciate everyone's advice.

    Oh should I prune back again?

    Have a wonderful Rosey Weekend! :)

    Miss you too Carlota - hope you are feeling better! :)

  • 15 years ago

    Moving plants is best done as soon as you can work the soil. This may mean being uncomfortable working outdoors in cold weather but we have to do what's best for the roses, not what is comfortable for us.
    The result is what you're experiencing.
    Did you cut back or try to move them with all that foliage?
    Too much top growth puts a lot of pressure on the reduced root system.
    Many say cutting back is not necessary. I say best to be safe than sorry. It'll grow back.

  • 15 years ago

    you KILLED them

  • 15 years ago

    HI Karl yes I cut them back before I moved them. Just wondering if I should do it again?