Another big transplant - moving a large Climing Iceberg rose

I love the look of roses growing on pillars but I've not been entirely successful in executing the look. I have yet to learn if I'm simply choosing roses that are not well-suited for such a purpose or maybe I don't spend enough time training them. My latest experiment with such was 'Climbing Iceberg' which looks okay in the above photo taken last spring but that was after I had whacked it back severely. For this is a rose that doesn't want to be restrained.

This photo was taken last winter and the rose looks fairly tame considering the mess that it was a few weeks ago. I forgot to get a photo but trust me, it was out of control. 

I decided to move it but where to? Real estate in this garden is getting pretty scarce. Then, after mulling it over for a while, I came up with the brilliant idea of putting it alongside our garden shed where I envision it scampering over the roof. 

This is a good time for transplanting. The weather is cool (sometimes cold!) and damp. First I had to remove it from the wrought iron pillar which was no easy feat. The canes were going in every direction and many had grown through the middle of the cage making them impossible to pull out. No worries, however, as I planned to cut it way back.

I hesitated to cut a climbing rose back like this but I figured it was my only option and the roots will have much less to support as they get acclimated to their new home.

Digging it up was also difficult. I've learned that a transplanting (or drain) spade is the best bet as the roots can go quite deep.

I try to get as much of the rootball as I can and hope that will remain intact. This doesn't always happen and often the entire root ball will collapse. However, this time, my luck held out. The recent rains helps the clay soil stick together. 

A tarp is helpful for moving it to the new location. The rose is too large to lift into a wheelbarrow.

Before I started anything, I went ahead and dug the hole so I could get the rose in the ground as soon as possbile after digging it. I added some well-rotted horse manure to the hole. Watering is crucial so I gave it 2 five-gallon buckets of water and more water about every other day. Even though we've had rain, the rain here is often a drizzle throughout the day which fools people into thinking there is enough water. Not always so! Fortunately, the cool weather with temperatures in the 40s, helps keep the ground moist.

 Now, I have a hole where the pillar was and must decide which rose, if any, I want to try next. 

 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy