Grow Your Own Magazine

I moved a rose bush the other day - before I moved it it was healthy - flourishing in fact... I dug a hole, watered the hole and put some organic tomato feed in with the water (it said good for flowers too) - the rose is now looking very sad - all droopy and definately not happy - what have I done wrong!

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The water is transpiring from the leaves more quickly than the roots can take it up.
You need to water lots and I'd cut back the top leafy growth so the roots have a chance to 'catch up' with the amount of water being lost. I would think it will still flower this year but probably a bit later than usual.
It's a bit late in the year now to move roses - best really when they're dormant!
Hope that helps!
Vicky

I don't think your rose is poorly,just pi**ed off about being moved. Just give it loads of tlc and I'm sure it will perk up in no time.

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A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot! (Thomas Edward Brown)

thanks for this - I will go out and water it this morning; I was a bit concerned that I had over watered it to start with as we have heavy clay soil and the water had pooled at the bottom of the hole so put a load of potting compost in the bottom to help absorb the water... but I shall perservere, I'd hate to lose it.

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How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”

Have just been reading about your rose. I think the problem is the tomato food in with the water when you planted it. You may have burned its roots, you would have been better sprinkling a general fertiliser round the rose and gently hoe it in. The rain will gently take the feed down to the roots over a period of time. Good luck with it

If you move things, you need to do it when they are dormant, not when they are actively growing. For roses, that would be autumn to early spring.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

No, surely you need to water sparingly, if the roots can't take up enough water and you keep wetting them they'll rot.

I imagine the plant is drooping because as has been said you've moved it when in leaf rather than when dormant. The plant should eventually recover, you could prune it of some leafy growth to help it out a bit.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

I think probably the main problem is that the rose was lifted without enough soil round the roots, and at a critical time in its growth. I've moved roses at this time of the year without check. Just been unlucky....I suspect the said rose has recovered by now.