Greetings,

I have three VERY healthy rugosa shrub roses which I see now in
retrospect were planted too closely together. Can anyone tell me how
well these guys tolerate being moved? They are each approximately four
feet tall and three feet wide. If moving them isn't a possibility can
they be pruned down a bit and still bloom again during the growing
season. We are in Zone 5

Thanks for any advice you can give me.
Regards,
Marti K

Well, I had this little problem wth thrips the last few years and I hacked the
thing down to one foot tall. I fed it, made cuts on a diagonal so the water
run down and off the cuts and it is coming back wonderfully. Still probably
have thrips! I haven't ween it bud yet.

The optimal time to do a major prune of roses is late winter, but you can do it
now as long as you leave enough to photosynthesize. Cut out all dead branches
at the base and all waterspouts (plant parts which are growing up toward the
center and give the rosa rugosa a really good fertilizer (NO NO NO MiracleGro
please) and mulch. Do not cover the crown when planting and try to wait till
fall to move it. If not, you chance losing it. Roses have very poor root
systems. They greatly benefit from use of mycorrhizae (I always spell that
wrong).