In article ,
Trish Brown wrote:

Hi everyone. We've decided the beds containing my few remaining roses
could do with raising. The soil needs topping up with some decent
organic mix and a bit of mulch wants laying down (the present soil is
old and leached-out).

The question is, do I need to prune the roses, dig them up and replant
them in the raised beds (planning on putting about 8" of new soil in) or
should I let sleeping roses lie? I'm worried about collar-rot or
whatever it is that could go wrong where they're grafted!

I would vote for pruning, digging up and replanting. Do this during their
dormant period, if you can (in Sydney, it's July) because they don't mind
being bare-rooted then. If you want to do it earlier, don't do it until you
are *sure* the really hot weather is over.

If you have a choice about mulch, I hear they like lucerne.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"... if *I* was buying a baby I'd jolly well make sure it was at
least a two-tooth!"
Mary Grant Bruce, The Houses of the Eagle.