Question
My neighbor is giving me his mothers rose bushes.  They are over 60 years old.  I live in Southwest Michigan and I was wondering when the best time to transplant them would be?  Being that they were his mothers roses, I would like to make sure they survive!  Thanks for all your help.

Answer
Because the rose bushes are 60 years old, in your area the best time is definitely in the spring.  All roses hate to be disturbed so you ill have t be very careful when you transplant these very old bushes as they will be harder to keep alive than newer ones. Have the new holes ready, place a handful of bonemeal in the bottom for the roots and use a transplanter liquid . Cut the roses down to 18 inches tall, cut out to the base any very old, thick canes to make way for newer ones to come up. Try and get most of the top root out as the deeper ones are mainly anchors. Plant right away after digging and water well. Cover all around the base with a mulch to keep the roots damp and cool as this will encourage new roots to grow. Don't fertilize them as the roots are damaged and will not be able to use the fertilizer and besides you want root growth not top growth. You can give them some fertilizer when they are starting to make good growth. Keep watering all spring and even in the summer even if they look like they are drooping. Because of their age they may take until next year to start growing again. Just keep looking after them no matter what they look like and also make sure you really mulch them well for the winter.