Re: [gardeners] Digging up a rose
drusus@golden.net (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 19 Jul 1998 20:03:24 -0400
Yes, it was attached to the mother plant by runners and maybe it will live
on its own. If not, try another one. One rugosa in my front yard has
given birth about a dozen times now--I have quite a clump of white rugosas.
You might try potting up a runner while still attached, in burlap and rich
dirt, for example. Good Luck, Lucinda. P.S. Gayle already explained about
moisture.
At 03:49 PM 19-07-98 -0400, you wrote:
>Help! :) I think I'm calling Lucinda here - or any of you rose experts. I
>have a rosa rugosa in my garden - very vigorous. Looking at it, it seems to
>have had BABIES! 3 small rosa rugosas growing near it. So, I say to myself,
>AH HA! I can dig up one of the babies, pot it up and take it with me when I
>move! Right? Well....................I don't know - and here's where I need
>help.
>
>I dug up the rosa rugosa baby. Or tried. JEEZ. The root system seems to go
>to China (it's 90 degrees with equal humidity while I'm doing this). I
>can't FIND the bottom of the root ball......then I realize the roots seem
>to be running toward the "mother" plant. Is this a baby that grew off the
>mother's root system? Anyone know?
>
>At any rate, I kept on digging......and digging......and there was NO END
>to the baby's root ball. By this time, I'm convinced it's still attached to
>the mother plant's roots. And it didn't want to be dug up - that much was
>for sure. But, I kept on .........and up it finally came......but without
>much root. (SOB) A few little hair-like roots - not many. Obviously, it was
>attached to its mom.
>
>Question: OK, not many roots - hardly any - and the few that came up were
>just little hair-like things. But, ever hopeful, I stuck it in rooting
>hormone and in a pot I'd prepared for it.
>
>Have I killed it? Will it grow? Any suggestions/advice helpful - also, how
>DO rosa rugosas produce offspring??
>
>Rosemary in Lexington, KY
>zone 6a
>http://www.morehead-st.edu/people/ro.carls
>
>