"Sandra Bodycoat" wrote in message
...
Hi

I am in the process of moving 4 roses, I have dug away the soil &
partially exposed the roots with the intention of completing the job
tomorrow.

How exposed are the roots? If there's a chance of
them drying out, I'd cover them with something damp
(like mulch or soil). I would not recommend
exposing roots until you're ready to transplant -
like immediately.

My
intention is to put them straight into the soil making sure it is well
soaked before hand & again afterwould, but do I fertilize then or should I
leave it for a while?
thanks
sandra

Do not fertilize! Wait until the roses have adjusted
to the new location and have started putting out
new growth (leaves, canes).

Do make sure the soil doesn't dry out in the new
location. That's death to a transplanted plant of
any kind. Well established roses are much more
tolerant of drought (all else being equal).

Where are you? Other advice depends strongly
on your location. Where I am, it's still way too
hot to transplant (I refuse to work that hard in
the heat and humidity, nevermind the roses!);
northern climes might be looking at a frost within
a month - might not be time enough for roses
to get acclimated to new holes. Hence advice
about when to fertilize varies. Not now (to
repeat), but perhaps not even until next spring.

Also the *kind* of roses you're transplanting
can make a difference. Healthy minis don't need
much additional care; weak Hybrid Teas might
need a lot of coddling to keep them alive. (Those
are extremes.)

A good idea when transplanting is to add triple
superphosphate to the hole - it helps root growth.
Nurseries should have it. Also, if you can get
hold of some seaweed, I'm a firm believer in
using that when transplanting. 1 tbl per gallon water.

You might also do a google search on transplanting
roses. There's a wealth of information out there.

Gail
near San Antonio TX USA Zone 8