Moving Plants - Rose and Peonie

[speak2me]

We moved into our home nearly three years ago. Since then I've left the garden as it was to see how the plants change over the seasons and now the time has come to make some changes! We have a Peonie and a Rose which unfortunately will need to be taken out and I would like to try and move them elsewhere if possible, however I would believe them to be well established in their current spots (10yrs+) as our previous home owners didn't garden. When and how would be best to try and move these two plants to see if we can keep them alive? Should I move the Peonie before any sign of growth this year? Would the Rose need to be moved before pruning back? Thank you.

[shovetheholly]

Early spring is a good time to do both - before they form leaves. Ideally, the peony would have moved last autumn, but it should still be OK to do it soon. They will both need to be moved into large holes with loads of added organic matter. Try to keep the rootball as intact as possible against the soil when you move it - this will reduce damage and stress.

On the whole, peonies do not like being moved and may struggle for quite a long while after they have been dug up. Roses are a bit less fussy. It's often worth giving the latter a fairly hard prune when shifting it to a new spot! Keep an eye on them if we get a dry spring/summer - they may need extra water in the first year.

[ppeatfruit]

shovetheholly I need the same advice about peonies and roses! I've got a climbing rose which has climbed beautifully , been in for 2 years but not one flower or even bud. (my earth is quite sandy and alkali) I've been feeding it and putting banana skins round the base. My peonies have re-appeared after we cut down some pine trees, so they have more light, maybe I should mulch with compost about now?

speaktome Do you know if you have acid soil or not?

[shovetheholly]

Hmmm, I'm no expert on roses, but I'll do my best. My guesses are as follows

• it might not have enough light? Is it very shaded?
  
• it might not have enough water - do you top it up in dry weather from the can?
  
• it might not have enough nutrients (keep shoving on loads of manure and that special rose fertilizer) OR
  
• it might have too much in the way of nutrients (this causes loads and loads of leaves all over the place but no flowers). The former seems more likely than the latter given your soil, though an excess of care can sometimes cause too many nutrients even in weak soil...
  
• it might be putting all its energy into scrambling up and not into flowering. If this is the case, you may be able to help it with some judicious pruning and training. Can you remember what the variety is, because pruning/training is really type-specific. Some flower on the current year of growth, some on the previous year. For some that flower at the end of stems, it can be that they need to get to the top of a structure and start going out sideways before they get stimulated to flower (so sideways training can help)

[ppeatfruit]

Yes thanks shovethe It is a white rosa alba and I have already trained it widthways along the fence it is by . Maybe it is too dry I did keep watering in the first year not so much in the 2nd because it seemed happy. Certain roses are happy in my soil others not so much. I thought it might not flower immediately.

[shovetheholly]

Is it in the sun ppeat? That's the other thing.

There is some good info on pruning here: www.rose.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/History-of-Roses-Albas.pdf The suggestion is that they flower on older wood, so it's worth checking you're not cutting out the very bits that you need! (I have done this accidentally in the past!)

[CommonFramework]

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=671

www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/11731500/When-and-how-do-I-replant-roses.html

[pithivier]

@ppeatfruit. I wrote to the breeder with a similar problem with my Banksii Lutea Rose. The relply was, "this rose takes three years to establish a root system before it will flower. In this time train the rose and do not prune unless to train and to prevent damage"

Last year I had one or two flowers. I was hoping that it would flower this year. I have, however had to move it this year so I might have to wait a bit longer.

[ppeatfruit]

Thanks everyone. It faces south with no shade to speak of. I knew not to prune too early , I've only trained it .

I wonder if that advice applies to rosa albas pithiviers ? You've had one to two flowers so you'll probably be lucky this year!

[pithivier]

I think it possibly does. It is described as vigorous like the Lutea. The growth was phenomenal a spread of about 12 feet in two years. Unfortunately it got a bit damaged in the transition and I thought it best to cut it back to give it a chance. It is about 6 feet now but fingers crossed I might get some flowers.

[ppeatfruit]

Oh yes mine has grown very fast too, which is what I want, I just want some flowers now!!!

[pithivier]

We will have to keep in touch to see if either of us have success. Lutea flowers early, late April early Mail.

[pithivier]

May not mail😙

[ppeatfruit]

Ok I'll pm you and then we can keep in touch. I'm not sure when mine is supposed to flower. I hope it's ok after the thick frost we've got here.

[speak2me]

Just reporting in to say we moved both plants, I think probably about 5 weeks ago now. We followed your advice shovetheholly, and the peony (which we divided up as it seemed to naturally be in two parts) is already showing lots of new growth. FIL came and took some cuttings of the rose and we pruned it at the same time as moving, it appears to be doing ok at the moment too. Thanks very much!

[AstrantiaMajor]

I a no longer Pithivier but my Banksii Lutea has survived the move. I had to take of about two thirds, but it seems happy. Not sure if it will flower this year, but fingers crossed for both of us.

[shovetheholly]

Hooray! I'm so glad it's worked well and both plants are healthy and happy in their new places.