On 16 Apr 2003 11:01:04 -0700, (E) wrote:

Gail,

Thanks so much for all the info. I think I'll prune the roots this
weekend of the roses I have in my front yard and move them in a few
weeks to see how they do. Then I'll tackle the back yard (where most
of the roses are).

When I prune the roots, how much room should I allow from the base of
the rose bush?

E

I just wanted to weigh in that I would probably wait a season before
moving the plants. Why? Because you haven't seen them in action yet,
right? You don't know what the roses are, what kind of blooms (color,
size, etc.) to expect, you don't really know the blooming cycles (some
roses bloom once and others bloom almost continuously or in distinct
cycles through the growing year).

If you wait a season, you can identify most of them, plus, you'll have
an idea about grouping them according to colors and sizes, etc.
There's nothing more frustrating than planting a small rose behind a
large one by accident...Plus, you can get used to the normal care and
pruning while they're still established, instead of caring for them
while they're trying to get acclimated to their new surroundings (and
just the movement is going to set them back quite a bit, plus, you
might even lose a few - better to have a year of care under your
belt).

Just my .02.