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 have a sentimental rose I had to move.

I was recommended this by my local rose garden centre (a rose specialist)

It's really easy to follow the instructions on when and how

UNCLE TOM'S ROSE TONIC https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J1KMFE4/ref=cmswwrcppapiglttfabc1XFCDXZ8HMFK2GMFKX2B??encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks so much- I’m a bit nervous about cutting back.

Mine has been in a year with very little growth. Lots of bugs tho! I've done the uncle Tom twice and will do a last feed in autumn.
I have some sturdy new growth in the last few weeks.
It has taken ages.

Roses are tough as old boots - you often see them growing away in really neglected gardens. Great advice above - cut it right back (be brave), give it a really good water. Go to the garden centre and get a big bag of anything calling itself a ‘soil conditioner’ - ask for advice - and spread that over the soil all the way over where the roots are good and thick (5-10cm is good). The term ‘compost’ is really confusing - you dont want ‘multipurpose compost’ or anything designed for plants to actually grow in - so do ask for advice. Good luck!

OP the thing about cutting it back is that you give the plant a chance to concentrate on developing roots - and that's what a really strong, healthy plant needs. If you remove all that unhealthy, straggly growth that you've got above ground, the plant will stop trying to support it (keep it growing) and instead focus on its roots.

If it's not going to survive it won't survive but cut it back hard and keep it well watered over the next few months and you'll give it it's best chance. A mulching with some compost like PP have suggested will help keep that moisture in. Come back next year and show us the flowers!!

Thanks! Going to cut it back this week.

I’ve just watched a couple of videos online - so should I literally be cutting all stems ?back to around 14 inches? Even the green ones?

I moved a rose last year - I had to saw through a massive root to get it up, replaced somewhere else. It turned brown straight away. But it's revived! I pruned it back really hard and now it is looking good.

Hi
As someone said, cut the green stem above a leaf with 5 lobes. Sharp secateurs , wipe them between cuts.
It might be worth asking at a good garden centre for advice- ie an independent or small chain. With manure the clue is well rotted, do NOT put fresh manure anywhere near your rose.
Your rose might be a Queen Elizabeth-if it is, its as tough as old boots.

Don't fear cutting it back. I generally find that pruning back won't finish a rose unless it was on its way out anyway. It may or may not like where you have put it but you will find out next year because it will do very well or not so well! It's unlikely it will die though.

Have you considered taking a cutting or two as you plan to prune, that could always be a bit of an insurance policy.

www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-take-rose-cuttings/

You are all wonderful! Honestly I have so much info now that would have taken hours to get by Googling!

Didn’t even think about a cutting - is that possible in its current condition?

I am going in with the secateurs on Thursday - need new ones that are sharp enough!

I have a small independent garden centre nearby and will also about the manure

As you are pruning now you have nothing to lose by trying to grow from some of the bits you chop. I tried some lavender recently and haven't had much luck but the weather has been a bit funny.

Yes to cutting back to 14 inches. Between where each leaf joins the stem (or where there should be a leaf) there is bud where new growth will come from. Choose a bud which faces out from the centre of the bush, cut about 1cm to 1in above the bud, slanting so the high side of the cut is in the side where the bud is.

Yes to cuttings. Cut them 6 to 8 inches from the top of the branch, with a horizontal cut just below a bud. Remove most of the leaves. You don’t need much more than an old 50p area of leaf - you’re trying to reduce water loss from leaves while still leaving the plant a little bit of leaf. Stick them in a pot of well drained moist compost so at least two thirds is buried. Put the whole pot in a large plastic bag and tie the top, leaving air space. They’ll take months rather than weeks to take; don’t disturb until you can see roots coming out of the bottom.

Thanks all again. We’ve cut the rose back now and have some cuttings too.

Fingers crossed I will have a beautiful rose next year.

One more thing. I'd move it further away from the wall this winter. You don't really want to plant anything closer than 30cm. The soul at the base of the wall will always be dry.