Help me save my mums rose please!

[QueenHofScotland]

Hi everyone,

I am clueless when it comes to gardening so any advice would be much appreciated.

My darling mum passed away in June and we had to empty her house and give the keys back in July. She had a rose in her garden that she loved - it was a gift from her sister.

This year it had the most beautiful roses - some years it barely flowered at all.

We don’t want to leave the rose, so on the advice of my MIL we dug a deep hole ready for it and then removed it from my mums garden. MIL said to get as much of the roots as we could. We actually got all of the roots, which surprised us as it was planted in a little bed next to a slabbed path, and we though it would have lots of roots that weren’t accessible to us.

Anyway, I am rambling. The rose has been in its new location in my garden for about 5 weeks now. Very quickly after we moved it, all of the flowers died away and it went very brown. I was concerned that we had killed it but I can now see new little buds forming and one of the “canes” (is this the right word) is green and definitely alive.

I’m not sure what to do with it now to encourage it to thrive. It has huge sentimental value and I would love for it to live on in my garden.

I’ve been feeding it with Miracle Grow weekly - just the generic liquid one. Should I continue with this?

When is best to cut the rest of it back? Should I dead head the old leaves just now? Do I cut all of the brown looking canes or will they still be alive?

I am absolutely clueless!

I’m not really much of a gardener, but it doesn’t surprise me that the flowers died. It should be ok, we have moved roses from back to front garden and they’ve settled ok.

Roses actually really like manure, so might be a good idea to get it some manure. I’d be careful about over feeding it though tbh

I wouldn't be giving it miracle grow regularly, it probably isn't used to that. I'd leave it to settle in for a couple of months, just deadheading flowers that have been and gone.

I should have taken a pic in the light - can do that tomorrow if anyone replies. But here it is.

There are three “canes” that are green and alive with new buds on them.

No, it won’t be used to being fed at all. At the most it would have been given a water in a very warm day. I was only feeding it in case it helped. I will cut back though if that’s better.

I’m not a professional but a keen amateur for many years.
We’re it my previous plant, as it’s flowered, I would cut right back, couple of inches above the ground. If you can possibly acquire manure, give it a top dressing. Water if it’s very dry until about November then leave it alone.

I think it will come back happy late next spring,best of luck X

Precious, not previous, sorry.

Don’t give up hope until Spring,I move roses quite often and it generally takes them until the following growing season to stop sulking.

@MrsSkylerWhite

I’m not a professional but a keen amateur for many years. We’re it my previous plant, as it’s flowered, I would cut right back, couple of inches above the ground. If you can possibly acquire manure, give it a top dressing. Water if it’s very dry until about November then leave it alone.

I think it will come back happy late next spring,best of luck X

Thank you!

When you say cut back - do I cut back the green canes too?

It is definitely alive, so I feel hopeful! Just don’t want to get it wrong.

Should be able to get manure ok.

Unfortunately summer when it’s dry wasn’t a good time to move it - you really want to be doing that in the autumn if anything, and in any case roses don’t like having their roots interfered with at all. I understand that you didn’t really have a choice about that. I wouldn’t keep feeding it - although roses are “greedy” plants if you feed it now you’ll be encouraging whippy growth as it goes into the winter. That will be susceptible to frost damage. Stop feeding it till next year when flower buds start forming.

The most important thing is to keep it well watered so it can establish roots. And keep your fingers crossed! If it doesn’t survive - and I really hope it does - do you know the variety so you can buy a “sister” and plant that next spring instead?? If you don’t know and have photos of the blooms, post it and perhaps someone can identify it for you?

I wish you luck- a rose that your mum loved will be a lovely reminder of her.

stop feeding it miracle grow. It is like junk food, so great for this years hanging baskets that you only want for a few months, but not good for long term plants.

water it, but better to give a good soak once a week that small amount every day. It is very close to the wall (too close actually) so it won't get a lot of water from the rain until its roots have spread a bit.

Get some well rotted manure or compost and put a thick layer round the plant on the flower bed.

I think it will be fine and come back in the spring. Don;t forget it will look veyr dead from first frost until April/May, just brown twigs, don't worry that's normal.

In the spring buy rose feed, follow instructions

I can give you hope!

We moved last year in August, it was blistering heat and I couldn't bare to leave my Mum's rose behind so we chanced digging it up and taking it with us.
Everyone said it wouldn't work because it was the wrong season but I had to try.

I planted it in a huge pot with a mix of manure and soil and cut it right back. Now a year later it's bloomed better than ever before! Lots of water through the summer and have faith. Roses are hardy.

My condolences about the loss of your Mum.

They can be quite forgiving. We had to cut a very old rose right back to old wood in order to replace a trellis and it came right back this season. So I would have cautious hope for next season.

sorry, typo - better to give it a good soak occasionally, than little bits of water every day.

Also, the grass is too close, slear tje grass away to create a bed round it, a circle about 1 m across. This is so that the water and compost go to the rose and not the grass.

Thank you so much! Will ditch the miracle grow and water weekly instead - annoyed about it being too close to the wall! It was exactly the same at my mums so I just assumed it needed similar. Will make sure it gets enough water.

I don’t know the variety but I’m going to see if I have a picture - I think I might.

Would love for it to survive. I did thing it might have been the wrong time to move it, and contemplated leaving it behind for that reason, but I was desperate to have it in my garden. I hope I’ve done the right thing.

And that’s great to know that brown twigs are normal!

Thanks so so much for all of your advice

I’ve maybe fed if 4 times with the miracle grow now - hoping I’ve not caused too much damage.

You are all giving me hope. My aim this week will be to get manure and to cut some of the grass back away from it.

@Goshitstricky

I can give you hope!

We moved last year in August, it was blistering heat and I couldn't bare to leave my Mum's rose behind so we chanced digging it up and taking it with us.
Everyone said it wouldn't work because it was the wrong season but I had to try.

I planted it in a huge pot with a mix of manure and soil and cut it right back. Now a year later it's bloomed better than ever before! Lots of water through the summer and have faith. Roses are hardy.

My condolences about the loss of your Mum.

I’m so glad your rose survived! 🌹

I’ve found a picture of it - not sure if it’s clear enough to see the variety?

A close up of the flowers

When you water, give it a really good old soak, not a sprinkle. I agree with a pp that mulching is a good idea, some well rotted horse manure would be good. When you spread it, put a good thick layer around but I'd avoid it actually being in contact with the plant - just leave an inch gap. Keep the area well weeded, as weeds are competition for the nutrients. Roses are pretty tough, they just complain when they are moved.
Do you know the variety?

No idea on the variety - have just posted a couple of pics in case anyone here has any idea. But if not I can go on a search online.

Will take away any weeds and grass this week 🤞

So sorry for your loss. I think it will be OK. I echo watering until established and rose feed in Spring, but only because I was reading a gardening book chapter about roses earlier... I am clueless but most things I plant complaint for the first year abd then are fine.

Thanks Bob

No point feeding it miraclegro. Get some rose compost and some David Austin rose food (from David Austin Roses).

Prune it by :
Cutting out completely any deadwood stems.
Cutting back other stems by about 1/3rd down to a leaf bud where there is a healthy, strong 5 leaved leaf - not a 3 leaved leaf.
Cut back straggly stems to main stem.
Use sharp secateurs
Top dress with rose compost and mix in a couple of scoops of David Austin rose food. Water well once a week until rainy season starts. Leave alone until Spring and see new shoots come.