How to Transplant a Rose

Choose a new location to prepare for your roses, allowing for air circulation between rose bushes and other plants. Observe the area throughout the day to ensure that it has at least six hours of full sunlight and adequate drainage: roses do not like wet feet.

Prepare the rose's location. On average, a hole two feet wide and two feet deep accommodates a growing rose bush nicely, but more established roses have larger root balls. Since this step is started before removing the plant from the previous location to prevent the roots from drying while you dig, it is best to err on the side of too large rather than too small -- it is faster to fill in a hole than to dig a new one.

Water your rose bush at the old location well. This helps loosen the soil and allows the rose to store water and nutrients for the journey ahead.

Dig out your old rose. Begin far away from the center of the plant to avoid hitting the root ball, the massive bundle of roots providing the bulk of the rose's nourishment. As you dig, move in closer to take as little soil with you as possible without damaging the roots.

Lift the rose bush out of the old location and move to the new location, either by hand or by using a wheelbarrow.

Place the rose into the hole at the new location, taking care to make sure the root ball has adequate room and is not cramped. For cold climates, plant so that the bud union -- the place where the rose canes join together at the bottom of the bush -- is two to three inches below ground level. In warm climates, the bud union should be at or slightly above ground level.

Combine equal parts of peat moss, mulch and potting soil to create a nutritious, properly aerated soil mixture and fill in the hole around the rose using this mix. Water the rose, then add more soil mixture until the rose is well supported by the surrounding soil.