Wendy Chatley Green wrote:
I'm in Florida (zone 9b) and have bought a house with large azaleas on
the north side of the house. They almost fill the space between the
garage and the neighbor's fence, are 5' tall, and densely grown.
No one can see them bloom (the neighbor never opens his window shades)
and I would rather move them than prune them enough to be able to move
my trash can and wheelbarrow past them. There's a good spot at the
east side of the yard with shade and space to grow.
Any suggestions on the best way/time to move them?
When transplanting a large plant several steps should be followed.
First, it is best to stimulate a tight root ball by root pruning the
plants to be moved about a year before moving. This is accomplished by
cutting a circle around the plant stem with a shovel to cut off roots
that extend beyond this point. This radius is usually slightly smaller
than half way to the drip line.
Second, it is best to move when the plant is dormant and not stressed.
This would be in the spring and fall when the plant is still dormant but
the soil is not frozen. Moving in the fall before the ground freezes is
preferable if since you don't have a problem with frost heaving.
Third, take precautions to preserve the integrity of the root ball. Tie
the ball together and support is so it doesn't fall apart. Finally,
pruning the top helps match the demands of the top to the capability of
the roots after they are stressed by the move. People have been known to
cut the top off wild azaleas before moving and the plants have come back
with superior shape. This is drastic and not recommended for a plant you
don't want to risk loosing. Rhododendron and azaleas have dormant buds
beneath the bark which sprout to form new growth after severe pruning,
hence severe pruning which removes 1/3 to 1/2 of leaf area is quite
common when transplanting.
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