Replanting/moving rock roses
Tasha Oscar
Posts: 3
in Plants
I have a bed approx 2m x 1m which is full of orange rock roses in flower. They have been there for 5 years but I now want to move them to make space for herbs in that area. Does anyone know:
can rock roses be succefully moved?
when is the best time to do it?
thanks!
0
Posts
Probably now now while they are busy flowering - having said that, I have moved things when you shouldn't and got away with it. If it must be done now, prepare the new place for them first, dig them up with as much soil and root as possible, and drop them straight in the new place. Give them a good watering, and - and this sounds dreadful but is needful - remove as many flowers as possible. You canot ask the plant to make new roots, move to a new position and support flowers as well, too much to do. If yu can wait a while, then when the flowering has ceased, cut the rock roses back and move as before. Better yet, do them in spring, but I suspect that will be too far away for your needs. You can grow herbs in pots while you wait, in fact many of them do as well, if not better, in pots than in the ground. Which herbs do you hope to grow? Some need moist conditions and others anything but - and it may be better to do those in the autumn too - but I know how it is when the mood strikes.
I would try and take some cuttings from non flowering shoots. It is easy to make a dozen new plants this way. Then if the old plants don't move successfully, you have fresh bew ones to take their place.
Brilliant, thanks all of you for your advice!
I will take some cuttings and then move them! Do I need some rooting powder or something to help with the cuttings?
Take 3inch, non flowering shoots. Strip off the lower leaves. Dip in rooting powder.
Plant 4 to a 3inch pot, around the edges, or use plug trays. Water in and let drain.
Use a propagator tray and lid, but you wont need heat. the propagator lid is just to stop them drying out too fast.
Pot on when roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot.
Use a mix of compost and perlite or grit to pot on with(free draining)
Thank you fidgetbones, I will take your advice and will be off to the garden centre tomorrow for the rooting powder!