Help please - roses and fuschia

pinkthinks

Can anyone advise please?

My dad's moving from his house where he lived with my mum who passed away 2 years ago. Long story short - she had a rose garden and a fuschia which I would like to dig up and plant in my own garden, and as he's moving imminently I can't leave them there until warmer weather.

Does anyone have any advice how I can do this with least chance of killing them all? Am really not very green fingered at all, but they do have great sentimental value to me and I'd like to try and keep them if I can.

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

McKneff

Cant help with the timing but dont forget you can put roses in pots and take fuscia cuttings for your dad for pots for where he moves to.

lostinrates

Its not the warmth, it's best to move roses while they are dormant (I know nothing about fuscias) but that the ground will be frozen and it will make the task very difficult to do do well. I second advice to put the roses into pots (if you really are doing in now I would wrap the pots in bubble wrap to insulate them and put them somewhere they are moderately protected till it thaws, so that the roots can get a little water without freezing. It it's just a guess, I have never tried to move something from frozen ground.

DaftyDuck

Roses: It's roughly the right time of year to move them, when they are not growing, weather allowing. Cut them right back (leave about 6" or so above ground), use a spade and dig deep, as there's a longer root you'll need to get out. Disturb the roots as little as possible, and replant them in pots. If no pots at hand, use polythene bags. Put quite a bit of compost in the bag, and keep the soil mildly damp*, placing the plans somewhere cool but not cold (say a porch) until the soil is above freezing (say air temp is 8 or more, with no icy snow on the forecast - a frost or two isn't a problem). Then, dig a hole twice as big as the rootball you have, place the rose in slightly deeper than you dug it out and refill with soil & compost mixed. Firm in with your foot, and water well for a month or three.

Fucsia - as stated above, they'll grow from cuttings, take a 6" sprig torn off a branch, so it has a "heel", and stick in sandy compost mix. Rooting hormone (Wilko, Homebase) will help. You may also be able to split a chunk off at ground level, and that may have roots on it. You can. of course, dig the whole plant up as well.

* main problem at this time of year is to allow plants to stay moist enough, without letting mould set in.

If you are selling the house, you may wish to replant the holes with some equvalent, but non-sentimental - plant so the new owners are happy.

Davesnave

I think you have zero chance with fuchsia cuttings at the moment, but if the soil allows you to dig all or part of it out at the root, then you will stand a good chance.

Just pot into a decent sized pot in a mix of potting compost and friable garden soil and you might cut it back too. It will start to shoot again by April, so in the meantime keep it cool, but not freezing, and don't saturate it with water. It can then have a nice winter rest.

pinkthinks

Thanks everyone, I'd feared I had no chance but am optimistic now!!