Question
I want to move 2 of my winning rose bushes from one spot in my yard to another but want to be sure the time of the year is ok. Is there a proper way to move them? I live in northern Indiana.
Thank you for your help.

Answer
Roses don't like to be disturbed so he best time to move them is when they are dormant. That is late fall or early spring. Cut the rose bushes back to 2 feet and dig up as much of the root ball as you can , don't be upset if you can't get the long roots out as they are anchors. If you dig the new hole and have it ready so you can plant right away after digging the rose up, most roses will be fine. Don't give any fertilizer as the feeder roots won't be able to take it up until they have grown back. The only thing you should do is to water the rose bush well for about a month to make sure the soil never dries out around the disturbed roots. Replanting a rose always damages the feeder roots and these are the tiny little white ones and it will take about 4 to 6 weeks for them to grow again. If the soil gets dry around them before they are mature, then they will die. A mulch of any kind is a good idea for anything that has been moved, as it keeps the roots cool and damp which means the plant grows new roots quicker. Give some fertilizer after the rose has started to bloom.