How to Cut Back Rose Bushes for Transplanting

Re-landscaping or moving may necessitate re-locating a rose bush. Established rose bushes are a prized possession of many homeowners. In general, older rose bushes produce larger roses. A healthy older rose bush is worth the work involved to transplant it. Rose bushes are very hardy and with a little care can be moved successfully. The first step in moving a rose is pruning it prior to its transplantation.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Long-sleeved shirt
• Pruning shears
• Trash can

Instructions

1. Understand the pruning process. Roses are pruned annually to give the root structure of the rose bush a rest from creating leaves and flowers. During this dormant period the root structure strengthens and prepares for the next growing season. Transplanting a rose bush operates on a similar principle. To ensure that a roses' root structure has enough resources to survive the shock of a transplant, its other functions are eliminated.

2. Protect your skin from rose thorns by wearing gloves and a long-sleeved shirt. Roses have rigid thorns that tend to become larger as a rose bush ages.

3. Cut all branches down to 4 to 8 inches in height. The smaller the plant, the shorter the branches should be. If your rose bush has been cultivated to look like a tree, cut back its branches to 4 inches past the point it branches off from its "trunk."

4. Remove any tangled or crossing branches. Roses are subject to mildew. Crossing branches can create spots where mildew can accumulate and pests can nest. Gardening expert Pippa Greenwood suggests removing crossed branches to "promote good air circulation."

5. Strip all leaves from the remaining branches.

6. Prune away all but four or five branches from your rose bush. Choose the remaining branches based on the new location of your rose bush. If the rose bush will grow in an open area, leave four branches that spread out in a opposite directions to ultimately create a round-shaped bush. If the rose bush will be placed against a wall, select branches in a flat, fan shape.

7. Place rose trimmings in a rigid container prior to disposal. The thorns of rose trimmings will tear through plastic garbage bags.

Tips & Warnings

• When possible, transplant or prune roses after all threat of frost has passed in the late-winter or early spring.

References

• The New Gardener, Pippa Greenwood 1995
• The Experts Book of Garden Hints, Fern Marshal Bradley, Editor; 1993

Resources

• Purchase Garden Shears
• Purchase Roses