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Rose ID and Transplanting Advice Needed Please

Posted by bonny46 6 (My Page) on
Sun, May 25, 14 at 22:56

My husband's great aunt passed away in the fall, and we are faced with selling her house. I was helping to work at the property today, and I noticed a rose in the front yard half-way under a tree. It is struggling to reach the sun, but it did survive our harsh NJ winter. My husband is 57 years old and grew up next door to her house, and he says the rose has been there as long as he can remember. It has never had any special care whatsoever. There is some insect damage (holes in buds and I spotted a caterpillar), tons of dead canes, and weeds at the base. It only has one cane that is alive!! However, I love the particular yellow shade of the blossoms, and the scent is wonderful. I have no idea yet whether it is once-blooming or not. I want to transplant it to my yard. Any advice on transplanting it and also any idea of the name of this rose?


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Rose ID and Transplanting Advice Needed Please

I forgot to mention that the leaves are very small and the blossom isn't too big either - diameter is probably about 3 inches. I know it doesn't look like one cane in this picture, but the cane is very long and has curved around. It almost looks to me like it wants to be a climber the way it is throwing that cane out, but perhaps it is because it is growing away from the shade. When it was planted, the tree was either not there or significantly smaller.


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RE: Rose ID and Transplanting Advice Needed Please

It is probably Harison's Yellow. It blooms once, just before the main rose season, and is notorious for an awkward growth habit. The best way to grow it is in the middle of the lawn, allowing it to spread out to a decent size. It isn't particularly fond of being moved, so try to get as much root as possible, and keep it well watered afterwards. If it doesn't completely die, it will be back.


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RE: Rose ID and Transplanting Advice Needed Please

Oh, this looks very like Harison's yellow - a lovely (and tough) old semi-wildling. You can remove it with some sturdy digging tools (fencehole spades are brilliant for this). If you have somewhere you wish to transplant to, have the hole ready and to move it to its new home, a good piece of hessian or burlap is useful.

Water well the evening before you dig - this will soften the soil and enable the rootball to stay together). Cut back as much as half of the top growth (in your case, leaving a 2foot cane ). Dig a deep trench around the perimetre of the rose, as big as you think 2 people can manage to lift with forks or spades). Slice horizontally, as deep as you can, freeing the taproot then using 2 spades, lift the rootball onto the burlap, wrap well, pour a can of water on the whole wrapped rootball and transfer to new home.
New hole. A nice deep hole, with, if possible, some good garden compost added to the soil taken out of the hole. Puddle in the new rose (add water to the hole and allow it to drain away), plant and backfill, throwing in the drier soil first to ensure it settles between the rose roots. Tread the backfilled soil in firmly with heel of boot.
If the rose starts to look a bit wilty, try covering with an umbrella or parasol or other shade material. You will need to deep water (at least2 gallons every week or so) for the rest of the season, by which time the rose will have made new root growth and be able to survive with only minimal (if any) extra irrigation in following years.


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RE: Rose ID and Transplanting Advice Needed Please

Wow! Thanks to both of you for your quick response! That looks exactly like the rose!! I am so excited. I appreciate all your specific transplanting advice, Campanula! My husband's mother always loved this rose because it was in bloom in time for her birthday in early June. His great aunt never identified it other than to say it was a wild rose. I will ask his other great aunt, her sister (age 85) if she remembers when it was planted. I'll keep you updated on how the transplanting goes. Again, thanks for your help!


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RE: Rose ID and Transplanting Advice Needed Please

Surprising news! I called my husband's other aunt (sorry for referring to her as a great aunt before - my mistake - she is my children's great aunt and I am so used to referring to her that way) to find out more about the history of this rose. As I said before, my husband said the rose has been there as long as he can remember, and he is 57. So I asked his other aunt, age 85, if she remembers when the rose was planted. She said that her mother MOVED it to its current location in about 1950. Before that, it was across the street at her grandfather's house, and it had been THERE as long as SHE could remember!! She remembers seeing that rose from the time she was a small child!! So, I am dealing with a rose that is at least 70-80 years old, and possibly older than that if her grandparents (my husband's great grandparents) planted it before she was born. Wow!


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RE: Rose ID and Transplanting Advice Needed Please

this is a lovely story, thank you for sharing. I so hope that the transplanting works out, what a treasure to keep this rose in the family. Best of luck on moving it.


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RE: Rose ID and Transplanting Advice Needed Please

Bonny46, how wonderful! Your rose is following in the tradition of the many Harison's Yellows that came before. Harison's Yellow has traveled from place to place across the U.S. over centuries along with its pioneering rose lovers. (I, too, think you've got a Harison's in your garden.) Congratulations on a wonderful, historical passalong! A beautiful, tough and very special rose. Carol


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