How To Transplant an Old Rose of Sharon Plant, by Mancycle DIY on YouTube. 2 min 8 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 8 s
- Time to do it
- 1 to 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Choose and prepare the new spot first. Rose of Sharon takes most soils but wants full sun and good drainage. Mark a circle about twice the width of the shrub's spread.
Water the shrub deeply the day before you dig. Damp soil holds the root ball together and makes the whole job easier.
Put on gloves and tie the branches up with twine, or prune back about a third of the top growth so the plant is easier to handle.
Dig a trench around the shrub at the drip line, just outside the outermost branches, and work your way inward and down.
Slice through roots cleanly with the spade rather than chopping. Keep the root ball as wide and as deep as you can manage.
Lever the spade under the root ball and tip it onto a tarp. Ask someone to help lift a shrub this size, and never carry it by the trunk.
Drag the tarp or use a wheelbarrow to move the shrub to the new hole. Dig the hole no deeper than the root ball and a little wider.
Set the shrub in at the same depth it grew before, backfill with the dug soil, firm it in with your heel and water until the ground settles.
Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the stems, then water deeply once a week through the first season.
Tips and common mistakes
Transplant in early spring or late autumn while the shrub is dormant, not in the middle of summer.
Do not add fertiliser at planting time, since it pushes new growth the damaged roots cannot support.
Expect some wilting for a week or two, and prune more of the top growth if it does not pick up.
Keep the plant out of the ground no longer than a few hours so the roots do not dry out.
Questions
Will an old Rose of Sharon survive being moved?
Usually yes, as long as you take a generous root ball and keep watering it for the first year. Older shrubs sulk more than young ones but often push back from the base.
When is the best time to move it?
Early spring before the buds break, or autumn once it has dropped its leaves. Avoid moving it while it is flowering or in a heatwave.
How much should I water after transplanting?
Soak it well at planting, then give it a deep watering once a week for the first season. Let the top inch or two of soil dry out in between.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
