It's best to do them now when it's cooler and they haven't put on a lot of growth. It's actually not that hard to dig up a rose unless the ground is really hard or there are a lot of tree roots. You will probably have to cut some of the larger roots, that is ok. Try to keep the soil around the rose root ball. Once you have it out and in the pot, water it well. Depending on it's condition, you may need to cut back the top to not be that much larger than the rootball. Don't worry, it will grow back. You should replant as soon as possible so it can put down roots before it gets too hot. Keep it well watered.

Thank you. I plan on digging them up next weekend and transplanting them a few days after I dig them up. So I should really trim them back is what you are saying.

It's best to trim them some for this kind of move. You're reducing the root ball so it helps if you also reduce the amount of top growth that root ball needs to feed. Besides that it will make them easier to transport if they're smaller. This is the ideal time to make that move from MI to Ohio. The roses are just beginning to wake up and are in full growth mode. They'll bounce back pretty quick!

I would also try to have the receiving holes dug first. I just replanted my 75 yr old New Dawns for the second time. I got as large a root as possible with as much original soil. Of course, they went directly into the new hole that was filled with compost. I replanted as if planting a bareroot, except with soil, watering in well after half filling the huge hole.

They experienced little if any transfer shock; a couple of emerging leaves died off, but were immediately replaced. However, that could have been due to a cold snap we recently had. You might also try to take cuttings just in case. good luck and report back.

New Dawn is a climber that blooms on old wood, so I didn't cut back. I wanted some reward for my efforts this year. :)

Thank you so much for this advice. I am just really nervous since these are so special to me. The roses should only be out of the ground for about a day and a half.

Hi I work for a landscaping company and we transplant mature rose bushes and other plants.

This is what I know about transplanting roses. Get as big a root ball as you can. If possible, as you dig the rose, work a piece of burlap, plastic tarp ect around the root ball so as it removed from the hole you will incase the root ball with the tarp. Use a rope to tie the tarp around the base of the plant. If the tarp idea doesn't work, keep the roots moist by doing as Seil said by wrapping "them in wet burlap or newspaper" or put the plants in pots and filling with garden soil. Do not let the root dry out, roses hate this more than must shrubs. A dry rose is a dead rose.

Plant the bush a couple of inches higher than it was in the original hole. You may need to stake the plants to keep them from falling over. Build a ring of soil that is about equal in diameter to the size of the bush. You are building a dam of soil around the plant so when you water, the water will stay inside the dam. Pack the soil in well around the root ball, water as you go and do not leave airpockets. Water well and at least once a day for a couple of weeks. If we are dealing with sandy soil, we leave a hose dripping on a plant for a couple of weeks. Mulch with 4 " of mulch material. That's why I said plant it high, the idea is to keep the roots soaked without drowning the plant. The mulch will protect the roots near the surface.

Now for the controversy, do not cut back the plant when transplanting. Cutting back a plant stimulates new growth (bad for a newly transplanted plant, you want root growth) and removes leaves that provide food for the plant through photosynthesis. Plants do lose moisture through their leaves but you can counteract this with lots of water. The scientific literature supports this and we have done experiments where we cut back half a hedge that we transplant. Not only is the survival greater with unpruned plants, but it can take years for the pruned plants to get to the same size and vigor.

Good luck on your move.

Thank you so much for all your feedback. I am going to by some burlap and wrap them as you had described. Seems odd not to cut them back, but kind of makes sense how you explained it. Roses are usually cut back in the spring to remove dead areas.

I just wanted to ad that you do want to keep the root ball in tack if possible, but if the dirt falls off don't be fret too much. I moved 4 rose bushed this spring and being here in Florida mine were already leafed out. True I moved mine from only one side of the yard to another, I actually took all of the dirt off of the roots. Though, I would not recommend on doing that on purpose, I did this becuase I have some kind of root mat that grew up and over the graft of my rose. The root mat had weaved itself into the rose roots and was choking the rose from all of the water and nutrients. I tried really hard to keep the root ball, but could not successfully remove the mat from the rose roots without taking all of the dirt off. It took several hours per rose and I was afraid my rose was going to be toast - drying out etc. However, after the rose was detangled, I soaked the root rose in vitamin B water made especially for transplanting plants. for 45 minutes and then planted them. I made sure that I kept the plant well hydrated until the roots had a chance to recover - about 3 weeks for me. The roses were quite shocked, but made it.

I would follow the advice above, but I would probably add a little of the vitamin water at planting time.

Just wanted to say I added the vitamin water NOT fertilizer. That probably should not be done until the plants get well established.

Just wanted all of you to know the roses made it to Ohio and in the last week have new growth in them. Thanks again

Yeah! would you mind sharing which technique you used in the end? be sure to post some pics when they bloom.

I dug up as much rootball as I could and wrapped them in burlap. I did end up cutting back one that was tall. The oldest bush ( maybe 40-50 years old) was so deep I ended up having to cut the root off. I also made sure they stayed moist in the burlap.