Hi GFG. Sorry to hear about the utility work going on at your place. I would root prune all of the roses, the jessamine and all of the salvias immediately. Then prune the top growth off by at the very least 1/2. Of course the jessamine will lose much more than 1/2. Then I would leave them where they are and continue to water them generously until the very last minute that you can. Then dig them out and put them in some kind of containers. Whether or not they would survive in bags would probably depend on how long they have to be out of the ground. But if it were me, I would probably err on the side of caution and go buy some MG Moisture Control potting soil and put them in containers then place them in the shade. You never know how long the workers will have your place dug up. Also, if you do decide to put them in pots, you can use some root stimulator on them to help them out a little bit.

Today would be a great day to root prune. It's cloudy and if we get any of the forecasted rain, it will be great for the plants and may postpone the utility work for a few day while the root pruned plants establish new little baby roots.

Just my thoughts, I hope it works out for you. If you need any containers, we have some pretty good sized ones up at the demonstration garden that I can get for you.

Kristi

Wow, had never thought about how root pruning would help establish new baby roots. Thanks Kristi!

Several years ago in mid summer before I realized what was going on the utility company dug up five Miami crape myrtles I had carefully planted out back along the easement. They put them in buckets of water for two weeks before they replanted them and they all survived. I was amazed.

With the care that Kristi recomments your plants will make it. I've moved roses with success at all times of the year.

Thanks! Showing my ignorance here...I am assuming "root pruning" means just cutting a pot size circle around the trunk by slicing straight down with a shovel?

Kristi, what/where is the demonstration garden? It sounds like something I might want to check out one of these days! I have enough pots for the listed plants, I just measured and my bonanza dwarf peach and white weeping cherry are also in the easement on the side street! (But hopefully too far in to be disrupted). The city workers saw me out there measuring and said they would give me notice when the permit is filed so I will know for sure exactly where the line will go. If I have to dig up my small trees I will definitely take you up on the large pots!

That's encouraging news about the crepe myrtles! I was trying to be proactive but I feel better knowing they will give me advance warning...I guess it shouldn't hurt too much go ahead and root prune and trim the roses and Salvia even if they end up be able to stay put?

Thanks!
Nik

Hey Nik, yes root pruning is just what you described. A sharp shooter shovel works best since the blade is so long and sharp. I even sharpen mine on the grinder before I do any root pruning. The general rule with root pruning and removing top growth is that you need to remove nearly as much top growth as you do roots since the diminished roots will have to support supplying water and nutrients to all of that foliage left above.

It's really a judgement call as to whether or not you root prune now. You will need to coddle those plants a bit for a while if you do and of course, there's the loss of the top growth... The longer they stay in the ground root pruned, the more new roots they'll grow but *for me* I would be disappointed to lose the top growth if it turned out to be for nothing :). If you choose to root prune now and it turns out to be unnecessary, you can always still give them the root stimulator to speed the recovery.

Nik, the Demo Garden is something I think you would enjoy seeing. It is behind the annex where the extension office is. I can never remember if that is annex I or II. Also kind of behind and to the left of the criminal courts building. If the apartments that are in some of the pics I've seen of your place are where I think they are (across from City Park), then you are very close to the garden. The garden was constructed solely through donations and master gardener labor. We just did a children's gardening school there yesterday where the kids were supposed to make their own stepping stones and also some to leave in the garden with their names and hand prints on them....Mostly what we really made was a mess, LOL! Anyway, you're welcome to take a looksee anytime you'd like.

Rose, I just removed a WELL established Texas Star Hibiscus a few weeks ago (temps were in the mid to high 90s). A friend of mine wanted it so I root pruned it. Some of those roots were about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter..... LOL, I was hopping up and down on that silly shovel! Just one of the VERY good advantages of living in the sticks is that no one can see me doing any of those great circus tricks. Anyhow, the hibiscus sulked for a day or two, but I continued to water it and a little over a week later when I took it out (cutting through a few more roots that were growing straight down), there were great new roots all over the root ball and it didn't bat an eye when my friend planted it out. I just put it in in an empty mulch bag since the root ball was pretty good size and she was going to plant it when she got home with it. I think this method really gives the plants a helping hand in recovering from the stresses of being relocated. Hope it helps you in the future too :).

Kristi

oh cool, yeah, that is right around the corner! I will definitely take a walk over and check it out next time I'm at my mom's.

Yeah, I guess I should wait on root pruning, I just don't know what the city considers "advance notice"

Its funny, I am not in the sticks and apparently the residents in the nursing home and some people in the apartments watch me working on the house/yard all the time (I have had many people tell me so). I have no privacy at all over there, I am a live home/gardening show or as my mom says "performance art" Lol! This year I learned about Al's gritty mix for container plants and spent weeks sifting pine mulch and all the other ingredients, I'm sure they're all thinking the sun has finally gotten to me!

Thanks!
Nik

the tulips won't mind if you dig them out, dry them, store them and if they are Dutch tulips, give 'em a chill before you replant next Christmas or New Year.

Oh, good point, thanks!

It looks like everything I care about will be spared except the tulip bulbs which I will dig up. (Phew!)

They are going to dig up a bunch of white Cemetary Iris, if any one wants some, feel free to stop by and take it, its all around the elm tree on the street side of the picket fence at: 112 S. Hawthorne St Granbury 76108

Wow, you dodged a big bullet there! So glad to hear that you don't have to go to all that work. But me thinks you are confused on the zip code ;).

Have a great weekend!

Kristi

Doh! 76048
;-)