Shifting roses

chic_style, Jul 11, 2:34pm
Our rental property has sold and I'm taking my standard roses but they are quite big and our new place the soil is a bit clay like, what can I do to improve the soil so they do OK? Thanks

lemming2, Jul 11, 4:19pm
Luckily they like heavy clay soils. Add a bit of Gypsum? Add in some compost? - but don't plant immediately if you use the compost, as they may not like the direct contact.

wine-o-clock, Jul 11, 4:36pm
coffee grounds and compost helped my clay soil

oh_hunnihunni, Jul 11, 5:05pm
Roses quite like clay so incorporate some good garden mix and watch drainage and you should be fine.

chic_style, Jul 11, 7:29pm
Oh thats fab they like clay! Thanks

macandrosie, Jul 11, 9:12pm
Give them their good winter prune before you shift them, also it won't hurt to prune the roots back if it makes them more manageable. Also any leaf mulch or compost you have can be mixed through as you replant.

oh_hunnihunni, Jul 11, 9:24pm
A few chunks of charcoal in the hole wouldn't hurt either, in case the drainage is dodgy.

chic_style, Jul 12, 2:36am
I was going to ask about roots, as some of the roses are quite big and some roots might get broken digging them out, so I cutting them back a bit will help im pleased to hear if some break it wont be a bad thing if some recommend I can cut them!

macandrosie, Jul 13, 12:06am
My mother in law says you can't kill a rose & I believe she's right! They really are tough plants!

samanya, Jul 13, 1:12am
Give it a go, I have done many a time . & as macandrosie says . roses are pretty resilient.

gilligee, Nov 23, 10:17am
They certainly are!
I sprayed mine with weed killer one year, ( by mistake ) and they survived though they did not look great that year. I have two sprayers, one for bugs and one for weeds and I did not read the name properly.