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?

--
Wendy Chatley Green

In article , 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?


They have surprisingly shallow roots & are among the most transplantable
of all shrubs. To move them, use a spade to cut around the dripline of a
shrub; sometimes that will be deep enough to pry the shallow roots up. If
the roots go deeper, you have to "trench" around the dripline. Have the
hole already dug to move each shrub to so the roots aren't long out of the
ground; if you can't replant them immediately, pack the root in wet
small-grade woodchips or shavings & don't let them dry out. Replant in a
very wide hole & if it's at all practical build a little "hump" for each
shrub so that it'll have great drainage, & enrich the soil greatly with
compost, & feed vitamin B which relieves root-shock. Keep the transplanted
shrub evenly moist in well drained soil throughout the coming summer,
they'll be especially sensitive to dryness for a while. Don't prune much
if at all; large deciduous azaleas with good limb form do not quickly
regain the limb form if you cut them back, & some never regain good form.
(Small evergreen azaleas do regain their appearance after a pruning, but
mature deciduous ones, the least possible pruning is best.)

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Even though your azaleas are fairly large and mature, they will still have a
shallow rootball and can be readily transplanted. If you've never
transplanted large shrubs before, you'll probably want to hire someone or
find a friend who has.

Dave

"Wendy Chatley Green" wrote in message
...
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?

--
Wendy Chatley Green

The advice given is good, but don't think of moving it/them till autumn, the
plants want to be dormant when you move them.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

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.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://members.aol.com/rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning

For some inexplicable reasons, "Stephen M. Henning"
wrote:

: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
referable if since you don't have a problem with frost heaving.

Note: Hell freezes just before the ground in Florida freezes.

Seriously, thanks to all for the advice. Although I'm not going to
wait for autumn and my soil to freeze, I appreciate the information.

--
Wendy Chatley Green