Using a spading shovel, dig a shovel-deep ring just outside of the leaf line of the plant at a 45-degree angle. grow well without much human effort in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 though 9 if planted in an appropriate location. They generally like a bit of morning sun and cooling shade in the afternoon to perform best and stay healthy. Nov 30, 2019 - How to Dig Up a Hydrangea Bush. To dig up hydrangea plants, make deep cuts with a shovel all around the perimeter of the hydrangea. Draw or imagine a circle on the soil ringing your hydrangea some 2 feet from the trunk. Dig a hole the depth of the pot; Put the plant in its hole and replace most of the soil; Water well, let the water drain away and put back the rest of the soil ; Put a mulch around your plant and water regularly; Remove your tree from the box. Step back from the center of the plant at least ten inches or more depending on how big your hydrangea is. The best time to transplant hydrangeas is when they are dormant in late fall or early winter, advises Plant Addict. I also recommend using Espoma’s Bio-Tone when planting or transplanting any landscape plants. It will slowly make its way up a tree or support, taking a decade or more to reach maturity. is not necessarily a shady business. Transport the shrub to its new location; fill in excess space in the planter/tub with peat hummus. Drag the root base of the plant onto a tarp by handling and lifting the root system. Alternatively, compensate for excess afternoon sun by providing frequent deep watering. Hydrangea shrubs rarely produce seeds, so getting a hydrangea on your property will involve planting an existing shrub that's is either transplanted or propagated from a cutting. Moving hydrangea bushes requires a lot of digging, and you don’t want your poor plant to wait out of the ground for you to dig a big hole. Most hydrangeas want afternoon shade and grow bigger than you dream, requiring a space at least 4 feet square to stretch out their mature branches. Do it very carefully, try not to damage the plant. This will not only help the plant to survive, but it is the preferred location for hydrangeas, … The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. It is also possible that you have bark split caused by freezing then a quick warm-up - which you wouldn't get with gradual warming. The roots of the climbing hydrangea are very small, matlike and fibrous. Root-prune the hydrangea in autumn when the flowers are fading. Cut back the hydrangea's shoots when the plant has stopped flowering. Make only a single cut, disturbing the roots as little as possible. It will die. Step 2 If outdoors, replant your plant in a spot that is more shallow, as deeply planted roots help contribute to root rot. Press the blade of a sharp spade into the earth vertically on some point of that circle to a depth of 10 inches. Dig up the root ball by digging a perimeter around your bush approximately 2 feet from the main stem. 10 years ago. 0 0. sciencegravy. Planting Hydrangeas. However, Myers says knowing when and how to deadhead your hydrangeas will depend on what species it is. Try not to handle the shrub by the base of the canes. Hydrangea's. Not the premixed roundup, but the concentrated kind. (I'm in zone 6) This year it looks like it may bloom! Using a narrow, long spade -- termed a rabbiting spade -- dig a deep circle around the clump, and then pry the root ball out of the ground and set it on a tarp. Prune popular bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) only when absolutely necessary to remove deadwood. Work to loosen the roots from the soil as much as possible while being careful not sever them. This can be done in the spring or early fall. The roots on a hydrangea are a fibrous ball easy to dig up. and H. serrata cvs.) grow well without much human effort in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 though 9 if planted in an appropriate location. Alternatively, compensate for excess afternoon sun by providing frequent deep watering. ), and I have clay soil, and it's low in nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Replant the hydrangea in an area that is shaded during the afternoon. Then angle the shovel sharply to get to the roots directly beneath it, … Last year, I transplanted a large, well-established hydrangea in the middle of May, and it did well. While it can be a one-person job, it’s wise to have someone or a professional to help you transplant hydrangea shrubs, especially if you need to carry a much bigger cluster of them. Some hydrangeas bloom up to six-feet-wide. It is also possible that you have bark split caused by freezing then a quick warm-up - which you wouldn't get with gradual warming. ... kill one. Turn on the hose just a little and allow the water to seep into the ground around the transplanted shrub until it stands on the surface. Hydrangea shrubs dress up your garden with large, showy flowers and beautiful foliage. Hydrangeas.com: Planting and Transplanting Hydrangeas, Fine Gardening: Big Flowers from Bigleaf Hydrangeas, United States National Arboretum: Hydrangea Questions and Answers. Bend a branch down to the trench so it touches the soil in the middle of the branch (six to 12 inches of branch should extend past the trench). Overcast days and cool temperatures above freezing for at least a few weeks are ideal conditions. Mulch will keep the plant’s roots cool, help prevent weeds and keep the soil moist. I would like to move them somewhere else. Many horticulturists recommend root-pruning the plant a few days prior to transplanting. Transplanting Hydrangea Tips. As hydrangea flowers age the colour fades to reveal wonderful antique shades of lime, rose and copper which make a beautiful feature in vases. Good luck! Lovely as the morning, familiar as your favorite slippers. A layer of pine straw to cover the soil in the pot might not be a bad idea. 3 steps to planting hydrangeaS. When it comes to transplanting any plants, urgency is important. Temps were warm, then we got a freeze, then warmed up again. I have 4 hydrangea plants that I want to plant. Dig up the hydrangea in November, after its leaves have fallen. Using a spading shovel, gently rock the plant loose from the ground while taking care not to damage the roots. The more roots you can leave intact the better odds the plant has of surviving. When transplanting hydrangeas, the first step is to dig a hole in your new location. Ubiquitous hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla cvs. Keep as much soil as possible around the root base. Using a narrow, long spade -- termed a rabbiting spade -- dig a deep circle around the clump, and then pry the root ball out of the ground and set it on a tarp. You may also divide a hydrangea using a sharp spade. Drag the root base of the plant onto a tarp by handling and lifting the root system. When digging a hydrangea to transplant, dig up as much of the rootball as possible. Woody plants tend to respond to herbicides differently than do weeds or more herbaceous plants. Keep the plant watered thoroughly the next few days so the roots have time to recover. Most Hydrangeas prefer moist, rich soil, and part sun /part shade locations. My advice would be to dig up as much of the root ball as possible (as in, don't cut the roots if you can help it), and dig a very wide and deep hole for it in the new spot. They are getting quite large and I am constantly pruning them away from the driveway. Just a thought. If you need to transplant them to a more optimal site, it's not a difficult procedure. Fill the planting hole with water and allow it to drain into the soil. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. But therein lies the rub: an appropriate location is not necessarily the little sunny corner you reserved for the plant. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). Dig around the perimeter of the hydrangea bush about two feet from the main stem, using a shovel to make sharp and deep cuts. Most hydrangeas perform well if planted on the north side of a house or a woodland where they get afternoon shade, recommends Fine Gardening. However, not everyone has the opportunity to provide such conditions. Bio-Tone will help reduce transplant shock and help establish the plant’s roots more quickly. When transplanting a hydrangea, dig up a generously sized root ball from the ground to allow the shrub plenty of nutrients as it acclimates to its new home. How do I know if my hydrangea has root rot? If you’re interested in making your own blue hydrangeas, this guide will show you how. A: While it is possible to transplant a large hydrangea plant, it will be very heavy, so plan to get help. Be sure to dig up as much of the hydrangea root ball as possible. 0 0. sciencegravy. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Got a question for the Ground Crew? You don’t want your hydrangeas to wait longer just … Go to your shrub with a pointed shovel and either dig the entire plant up, or use the shovel to cut off a few stems from one side of the plant. Dig under the root base with the shovel and loosen it from the ground. My neighbor gave it a crew cut a few times when turning his mower. The root systems are not extensive and the plant will not regenerate or reshoot from portions left in the soil. Lv 7. All rights reserved (About Us). With regards to transplanting any plants, desperation is significant. and H. serrata cvs.) Work to loosen the roots from the soil as much as possible while being careful not sever them. "Make sure not to plant too high or too low," he warns. Most hydrangeas do not like the full sun; they need a few hours of direct sunlight a day; the rest of the time, they prefer to be in the shade. Lv 7. This helps reduce plant shock. Dig under the root base with the shovel and loosen it from the ground. Drive your garden shovel straight down into the ground and make a circle around the bush in order to free up the root ball. Please support high-quality local journalism. Try cutting the topgrowth back and painting the … Carefully loosen the rootball and begin to bring it up to the surface. Replant the hydrangea in an area that is shaded during the afternoon. Use a good planting soil such as Fafard Planting Mix, and work it into the existing soil. Afternoon sun can devastate an Oakleaf Hydrangea. "Locate the first set of full-sized leaves beneath the flower, and make your cut right above it ," she says. Place the plant in its new home at the same depth it was planted at previously, backfill the hole with a mixture of fresh planting mix and existing soil leaving no gaps, water thoroughly and mulch. Lift the entire root ball from the hole and sever the ball in the middle with the shovel, into two sections. Dig up in advance. When digging a hydrangea to transplant, dig up as much of the rootball as possible. If very large, just cut back the top growth first, then dig out along the drip line. Remove the spade and move it along the circle, repeating the action until the entire circle is sliced. Drag the tarp slowly and carefully to the new planting hole. My sister wants to get rid of a hydrangea bush that has gone wild and the only answer she found was that they didn't like water. Dig a new planting hole where you intend to move the shrub before you dig it up. Dig your hole paying special attention to the width. Spring & fall are fine for planting hydrangea bushes; most sources recommend waiting for cooler weather & transplanting the bushes in LATE fall while plants are dormant but the soil is workable. Any spring, fall or winter pruning will reduce your flowers the following spring. Lower the root ball into the hole. If you live in a warmer climate, early winter is ok, too. Pick a location that receives at least some shade during the course of the day. If your backyard is short of shade, plant panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) as it accepts more sun. Try to get as many roots as possible by digging at least a foot away from the plant. Dig up the root ball by digging a perimeter around your bush approximately 2 feet from the main stem. I think all the Spring rain helped that. Make scratches in the bark where the branch touches the trench soil. There are several types of Hydrangea root rot which cause different symptoms. However, there is always the risk of losing the plant. Larger plants may need one to two years to recover from transplanting. ... kill one. If you're dividing your hydrangea in spring, wait until you see an inch or two of new shoots, and then dig up the clump. My sister wants to get rid of a hydrangea bush that has gone wild and the only answer she found was that they didn't like water. The variety Grandiflora Hydrangeas is particularly suited to cold climates. Hydrangea is really a collective term that refers to a genus of flowering plants with around 70 to 75 species. How do I know if my hydrangea has root rot? Be careful! A hydrangea has a fibrous root system. Type of Hydrangeas. Megan and Ken gave me this hydrangea about 3 years ago for Mother's Day. Before removing your hydrangea from its current location, prepare its new home. While it can be a one-person job, it’s wise to have someone or a professional to help you transplant hydrangea shrubs, especially if you need to carry a much bigger cluster of them. Since the roots are fibrous and form a ball filled with soil, the plant may be VERY heavy, so you might want to get some help with this. How deep do their roots grow? The very first thing to do is un-wrap your trees. To do so, plant hydrangeas at least two feet apart. For this reason, you might need a pick or axe to … Jul 3, 2019 - Transplanting hydrangea - Be sure to dig up as much of the hydrangea root ball as possible. "If it's planted too high, … You could also put an add on Craig's list. Subscribe to cleveland.com. She could trim it back to make it more groomed and smaller. 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