Re: Hello! Rose question...

Wendy, I'm in Z5 neIN, you're, I'd suppose, in Z6.  This has been a pleasant 
fall season so far and I'd have no qualms moving most plants by the end of 
September.  However, the season can make a quick turn and get cold fast like it 
did last year.  It's helpful to remember that soil temp is more important than 
air temp.  Do you have a soil thermometer?  

A general rule is to divide spring bloomers in fall and vice versa.  Some like 
Hosta and Hemerocallis can be done spring or fall.  For fall planting just try 
to get it back in the ground about 6 weeks before you excpect a hard frost so 
the roots have a chance to grow and grab hold.  It's smart to give these late 
planted ones an extra winter mulch (wait until December) to help insulate them 
from freeze/thaw cycles that cause heaving.

Certain plants require specific attention.  Peonies should only be dug in fall, 
probably October for you.  For specific plants you could check A-Z if you have 
it.  Under the genus name it give cultivation requirements and tells the best 
time for division.  I'm not sure A-Z is always right, but a good starting 
point.  I figured since Brumnnera is a spring bloomer it would be divided in 
fall, but A-Z says spring, so I checked with the grower and they said they 
thought fall made more sense to them too.

Unless a plant is very sensitive or there is something unique about its growth 
habit, most can be moved anytime the soil can be worked and if you move it with 
a good sized rootball. TLC should be provided, special attention should be paid 
to moisture needs, and root boosters are helpful.  Sometimes the choice is to 
move it or lose it and you just have to decide whether it's worht the effort.

Kitty
> Glad to hear all the replies to Bonnie's question! I received a rugosa
> rose in a plant exchange a couple of days ago and intend to put it in
> the ground today. Nice to think it has a fighting chance <s>!
> 
> 
> I'm attending another exchange tonight, though I wonder if most plants
> will take kindly to being moved in autumn weather??? We are having warm
> days in the sixties and seventies, but chill nights in the forties. I
> know grasses, mums, and coneflowers don't mind being moved now, but what
> about other plants? Is there a way to generalize what will transplant
> happily in fall, based on season of bloom?
> 
> 
> Wendy in SW OH

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index