Replanting Roses? (flowers, growing, Rose Bushes, spring)

[Toxiclove]

I have knockout roses in my front flower bed. I planted 4 last year. Big mistake. They are HUGE!! I need to uproot at least two of them and move them to another bed. When is the best time to do this? Also, how do I go about cutting them down for next year? When should I do that? I also want to plant some morning glories, sunflowers, and hollyhocks. Should I wait til spring or plant them this fall?

[J&Em]

Knockouts are pretty strong and resilient but even they don't like being transplanted in heat. Now is probably the worst time to want to transplant them. The best time is late in winter/early spring as their first leaf buds begin to swell. If you must absolutely positively move them before then wait until cool but not cold weather sets in and be prepared to fuss a bit. If you have a long enough cool fall they should be able to put in roots enough to survive winter but that is not a guarantee!!!! If I had to do it I'd wait until early spring.
I looked for directions that were organized and with pictures here's a decent place to look at:
How to Transplant Knockout Roses | Garden Guides

Before you rip and move you may want to cut them back. I've got several and they respond to cutting back with denser growth and even more flowers. I've been controlling mine somewhat with pruning as I deadhead, it gives them a better shape and I like them "clean" of old flowers. In the beginning of the growing season I trim them pretty severely and then let the go for a while before I cut them again. It gives them a good first flush of flowers and they stay neat looking for a good month or so.

Sunflowers and morning glories are annual plants which means they die every fall/winter and grow from seed in the spring. Planting them now will be a big disappointment if you want them next spring. Hollyhocks will set roots if planted in the early fall and may flower a bit the following spring, more so the spring after that.... and that depends on where you live and a lot of other conditions. They are most often biennial which means they have a life-cycle of 2 years but they reseed; after the first year you should have a steady supply of new plants from seeds of the earlier ones. A few varieties are classified as perennial which means they should come back, again depending on conditions in your garden.

A lot of people love morning glories conceptually; they are pretty flowers. Here is the BUT- they can be nasty in a mixed flower garden as they vine and twine on other plants and bushes. They do best when going on a fence or on a post away from other parts of the garden. They can also reseed themselves and start feeling like a weed after a few years. Just a heads up!

[oberon_1]

First, it depends on your climate zone. I don't know where the Broken Promise Land is...In south CA, you can do that in Jan-February, while in our part of NY, not before May.
Full heat or snow are not recommended. You want to move it when the plant is dormant. Fall and cooler weather are a good choice. Prune and move it as described in the guide. Another chance is after snow melt in spring. However, an occasional April frost before being established may kill it. But knockout roses are resilient and they have a good chance to survive.

[sunshineann]

I'm in Michigan and i moved to our house now last year on Oct. 1 and i dug up all three of my rose bushes and hauled them along, And they are doing fine.

[johnny999]

If you have to move them before winter dig wide and deep around them so you get as much of the root ball as possible without breaking any of the roots. I would wait until late winter or early spring just as they start to put on new growth. You can prune them severely and they will come back nicely. If you don't prune them they will get huge. I let mine go for two years and they were 7-8 ft wide and 6ft tall.