Perhaps this is just foolish to try, but here's the thing. When I moved here in April this year, this rose was languishing in a full shade location. Nonetheless, it put out a great number of red old-fashioned looking blooms, in May and June. (I can't recall if there was a scent, and don't know the technical term for the kind of flower I mean. One layer of petals might describe it?)
Of course, I didn't take any photos when it was in bloom.
This garden needed so much attention, I didn't want to even look at this rose! The bed was full of ivy from the yard next door, along with other unwanted growth.
Since then the bed has been "weeded" by the yard crew who come once every couple of weeks to mow, as an extra project. No chemicals were used; the soil was just dug up back to the worst layer of ivy next to the fence and then a blast of bark chip mulch was blown into all the beds.
Sorry if this is too much info! Anyway, after I did some other basic things around, I started thinking about transplanting this rose. I asked my housemate (whose house this is and who has lived here since 1996) what kind of rose it is and she said she had no idea, it has been here since she moved in, but of course back then the shade from the neighboring yard was not nearly as dense.
The rose had clearly been stressed badly, leaves yellowed and mottled, etc, but it bloomed up a storm!
We laced out some of the canopy overhead, mainly to give other things in that area some light. I began watering etc and the rose really responded!
New, healthy looking leaf growth:
When I started thinking about moving it, I did a little research and got a couple of tips, such as to water it very thoroughly for a week before moving, so its tissues could absorb as much as possible, since there will be water stress no matter what one does, from root loss. (
) I also learned that I needed to amend the destination bed in advance with a lot of organic matter.
That has been done. I am waiting til slightly cooler weather though I have heard it can even be done in mid August if one is willing to babysit. I'm willing but may be babysitting too many other things at the same time, LOL! And anyway, for my own sake, I want to wait until it is cooler.
This is the destination bed, in full sun. It's gotten a little weedy since I amended it but it has been worked down at least a foot so that's all surface stuff. The only thing that will stay is a little fig behind that dragon statue. I do wonder if moving from (what was) full shade into full sun is too much of a change.)
I know the root system will be very wide -- is it also likely to be very deep? (watch me cringe.)
I have also heard the suggestion that the plant has reverted to rootstock (whatever was grafted having gone the way of many untended things) but, I don't care. It seems unlikely to flourish where it is but it's so pretty in bloom.
I am seeking advice, encouragement, tips, what have you -- or perhaps to be convinced I should not even try.
My main questions are about the size of the root area, and whether this is really a stupid idea altogether.
