I tie up the canes loosely in layers to begin, which is often easier than trying to bundle the growth in one swoop, starting with the central uprights at several points along the canes & then easing in the side growth separately a section at a time. This is to protect both the bush & myself during digging & transport. If the bush will stand upright in a vehicle, that's usually enough bundling & the bush looks something like a tied Christmas tree. If it will need to ride to a new location lying on its side, I wrap the entire bush again after it's out of the ground with an old sheet, blanket, landscape fabric, tarp or even bubble & kitchen plastic wrap in a pinch that's tied, bungie-corded, masking taped or stapled to hold in place. I typically don't cut canes back even if the rose is in full growth (in which case it will be replanted the same day), and never when dormant, letting the rose decide which growth it will continue to support. Depending on the age & growth of the rose, this method may be more than what's necessary, but the approach remains the same even with smallish roses & proportionate tools. Keep in mind my soil is clay-based loam which holds together well under this type of treatment when damp, and I water the plant beforehand to make sure it is. Other types of soils may act differently.

For a good-sized rose, takes several tools for the excavation - a trench shovel with a long & narrow rectangular blade that's slightly dished, a long-handled rounded contractor's shovel deeply dished, a narrow planter's shovel or spade & a sturdy pitchfork to use as a fulcrum. If you don't have a trench shovel, a bulb digger will serve, or any tool that will yield a trench. Improvise as needed with what's on hand. Once the bush is bundled, eyeball a wide circle around the base where you anticipate the rootball extends, take a step or two back from that & begin digging a narrow trench to mark the perimeter outside that rootzone in a circle. If your roses are planted closely, you'll have less room to maneuver but do the best you can. (I've often needed to dig adjacent plants first to get at the target plant.) Go around the circle you've made, digging another shovel deeper with each pass until you reach the depth you want (or run out of steam). At this point you'll have a narrow straight-sided "tub" encircling the roots, and be ready to dig out a bowl of soil containing the roots using the contractor's shovel. Drop that into the trench with the blade toward the rose & step on it to drive it as deep as you comfortably can. The blade's shape will angle a dished wedge under the plant. Pull it back out - any soil it may hold will fall away due to the angle - and do it again next to the first cut till you've worked your way around the circle. Using a planter's shovel or spade (or whatever you have that'll do the job), clear the loose soil at the bottom of the trench if need be, and do another round with the contractor's shovel to cut under & toward the rose. When you're done digging this bowl of roots, leave the contractor's shovel under the rose, bear down on the handle to rock the rose away from you & go around the bowl repeating this till it's free.

The next stage is easier with two but can be done by one. Slide the contractor's shovel under the bowl, lever the handle down to raise the bowl & slide the pitchfork backside up under the shovel blade to hold it steady in that position. Now you can bundle the roots. I use landscape fabric cut in lengths to "diaper" the roots, but burlap or plastic or what have you would work. If using rolls, cut a generous piece long enough to to extend along the bottom of the bowl and cover the top on either side with overlap. If using a sheet or tarp, fold it several times lengthwise so you can fan it out later. Pushing it with both hands either side of the middle, slide it down under the raised part of the bowl & tuck it in the best you can. You can tug at the free ends above ground to straighten the strip. Bear down on the shovel handle to free the pitchfork, pull up the shovel & put another length of fabric down on the opposite side of the bowl in the same way, tucking the second strip under the first where they meet. Use another strip at right angles to the first two. If using a sheet, pull the free edge of the folds toward you. If using a heavy trash bag, slip the open bag onto one side & adjust from the opposite side. You want the roots supported when you remove the plant, or the weight of the soil itself may break them away. Work with the size of your captive root mass & fabric width till you have the root ball covered below & above, then gather & fasten it around the rose base

Now you just have to get it up & out of the hole it's sitting in! If it's not too large, you can usually tug or push or pull it out. If you have a second set of hands, a pot-lifter works well, steadied by a piece of board if the mass is heavier. I've gone all the way to boards, metal baskets, chains & tractor for the really big guys, but you need to be pretty determined to move those. Yours sound very doable. Good luck!

This post was edited by vasue on Mon, Jan 19, 15 at 9:09