Raising the beds

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

Hello friends
All my flower beds are below lawn level, (convenient for the Mali, for flood irrigation) killing plants during rainy season.
I have decided to raise them by at least three inches:
I would have to shift day lilies, roses and some other bushes.
Should I pull them out and re-plant or leave them as they are and add additional soil?
What would be the right time to do so?
Should I use Bhall or for better drainage Ghasso (river Bhall)?
Should I just lay it on the top or mix it in the upper few inches of soil.
Should I add some organic matter to it or not?
WHAT HAVE YOU TO SAY.
Arif

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Arif sb about Day lilies i don,t know but for roses its not the right time to uproot & replant.Wait till Nov-Dec.Arif sb the main problem we face is our climate.In hot summers its so hot & in winter its so cold.Another thing when its not season of raining you need to irrigate plants daily.But when its season the rains are so much that ruin our plants.Don,t add organic matter as it holds up too much moister.

[KBW]

Sir its a very good idea to have raised beds. If they are already lower than the lawn level and you want to raise them 3 inches higher than the lawn, it is minimum 4-5 inches of earth filling that we are looking at and the plants will have to be moved. As suggested by Umer sb, winter will be the right time for shifting roses. I would rather suggest a proper soil preparation for roses at this stage, if you are already taking the trouble of doing all this. To start with, I will suggest a soil test to determine the pH level as well as quantity of other nutrients present in your soil and its texture.

The desired pH level for many roses is 5.5 to 7 though some of them thrive satisfactorily in slightly basic soil as well. I would suggest use of bhal (canal or river, whichever you can get easily) and mixing of organic matter in it. Well rotted chicken and goat manure along with seasoned leaf mould will do. Most organic matter that we have here (like various manures and moulds) are basic in nature, however, final top mulching with pine bark which has a pH of around 4.5 will help a lot. Since it decomposes very slowly so it will maintain the pH level for a long time, however, procuring the same in Lahore might be bit of a bother. Use of gypsum will also help a great deal, if the soil is basic or alkaline in nature. Now, most seasonal flowers that we grow in Pakistan like a neutral or slightly alkaline soil and therefore, might not grow very well in an acidic soil specially prepared for roses. As a thumb rule, most plants growing naturally in mountains generally thrive well in acidic, well drained soils as it resembles the soil texture / properties in their natural habitat. Most bulbs should do well in rose beds IMHO. As a general rule, plants grown in rose beds should be shallow rooted so that they don't get in competition with roses.

If you want to keep it as general purpose bed where everything can be grown than, after the beds are prepared, you may like to dig pits of 24" x 24" and prepare them for roses specifically. Remaining bed is just prepared in the normal manner so that most other seasonal plants can thrive well.

Are you only planning to shift the already planted roses or want to add new varieties? Selecting hardy cultivars which have a record of performing well in Pakistan will help. Please see the performance of various bushes planted permanantly in Changa nursery and that will give you a fair idea about their survival in Pakistani climate. Secondly, please select a location (if it is available) where you get full sun in winters and spring but partial sun (some shade) in May, June and July. Beds with early morning sun and shade during later part of the day (when it gets too hot) will have better chances of survival. This will enhance the life of bloom and help the roses to negotiate our hot summers with ease.

Best regards

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

Year before last Changa sent me 25 roses of his choice, less than half have survived. Some of these are small bushes and others large, these are being re located.
I also have three different old hardy plants which I will propagate through cutting. I also plan to put the cuttings in situ. I am not a roserian so I am not going for exotic and rare, only the pretty ones.
A pit of 24X24 inches and how far apart?

[newton]

You could actually cut a gachi or a spade and halfs depth ring around the plants early in the season thus allowing the plant to form new fibrous roots within the gachi whilst it is still in the soil. At the time of transplanting you remove the gachi including the soil and roots etc for transplanting.

[aykhan]

Brig Saheb even a pit of 18 by 18 by 18 will do for roses. If you plan to hard prune each winter then spacing of 3 feet should be good enough. I have decided to use sand liberally now. Just planted some rooted rose cuttings in sand and Garden Green compost, almost 50/50! No bhall at all! I watered and drainage was just spectacular will see how they do in pots with this mixture.

[Farhan Ahmed]

@Aykhan. Water requirement will increase. watch out for that

[aykhan]

Farhan just experimenting. Still the organic matter should hold onto water and the sand assisting drainage.

[Farhan Ahmed]

@Aykhan. I personally prefer sand too. Watering being the fun side of sandy soil . This time i am experimenting with coarse sand as sowing media.

@Sir Arif. I doubt roses or bushes would be bothered by 3 inches of top filling whatever you decide upon....transplanting will risk all your plants whatever measures taken.
For day lily i would suggest, whilst you add soil, make some space on one side of the plant put big shovel as deep as possible under the roots and lift gently. Than fill the bottom with some soil to get it top leveled. Least possible disturbance.

[aykhan]

I wonder if something like Superthrive is available here to reduce transplant shock? Anyone know?