Transplanted roses and dormant hydrangeas - now frost! Will they survive?

[gingerspaniel]

Hello,

I had impatiently taken advantage of all the late winter plant deals and purchased some 3l dormant hydrangea annabelles to plant a hedge and very cheap foxgloves (9cm). Whilst I was out planting them in winter sun on Sunday and feeling optimistic I also took the opportunity to move a couple of my roses so that they'd have more space. They had already been pruned and were looking otherwise healthy. I didn't water everything in much as the temps have still been low and was worried about rotting the roots if we did have a freeze... well yesterday it was sunny any I second guessed myself and gave everything a blast with the hose. This morning I have woken up to thick frost! Is there anything I can do? Also, would now be a good time to work in some chicken fertiliser on the soil or should I wait until later in the season? Thanks for any advice!

My logic would be that when you dig in frosty weather you churn up the soil and cold top soil gets down among the roots. You dug before the frost, so should be ok. This may be balderdash.

I wouldn't use any fertiliser this time of year. Plants and shrubs are in dormancy and they don't want to have a rude awakening to a full roast dinner so to speak 😊 the earliest I would use any plant food is April.

Ive never transplanted roses and hydrangea in Feb, but I do order bare root roses from David Austin some years to replace one or two that have gone caput so I'm sure it isn't much different, the plants are in dormancy.

looking at the general forecast the temps will gradually start creeping up at night some they will be above freezing most nights depending where you are in the country - it's a cold snap that will shortly give way to slightly milder temps and conditions, maybe +1 or +2 at night. I'm sure your plants will be fine, you did right not covering them with water which wouldn't have done the roots much good.

My mil planted 7 million hydrangeas in my garden couldn't get rid of the blasted things. They're bomb-proof so you should be ok

my hydrangeas have been abused in all sorts of ways and they’re very forgiving. They thrive in Zone 5 where it’s colder than here, so i think they’ll be ok.

The only time I've seen hydrangeas in distress was during last years drought. They were suffering from the heat and lack of moisture so I threw basins of dirty dishwater over the roots as that was the only water I was prepared to give them. Lo and behold they revived within a day.

Treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen as they say

I'll lend you my puppy. He's destroyed several in the few weeks since we got him!