transplant large spirea

17 years ago

Previous owners have 14 spirea planted as foundation shrubs and they are way too big and informal for the space. I'm thinking of transplanting them- they are probably 5 foot wide by 4 foot tall.

Will they survive the transplant and do you have any tips on how to accomplish this with little loss of plant life-

thanks

oh, I think they are anthony waterer variety

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

17 years ago

first they are cheap plants .... i would do the old cost/benefit ratio .. and decide if 2 or 3 hours per plant is worth the 5 or 10 bucks it would cost to buy replacements.. if in fact you need that many spirea ...

presuming you do .... after bloom ... as mine just are in zone 5 ... i would prune them back hard ... to make it easy to dig around them...

in the alternative, at moving time .. take a rope... and wind it around the plant.. and tighten it all up so as to be able to work at the trunk area ....then move it and release the plant ...

and i would move them in october .... around the time that the trees start turning in zone 5 .... when it is just going into dormancy .... or as soon as the ground is diggable in spring .....

i literally ripped two big plants from the front of the house... dragged them to a new hole.. threw them in .. and watered them once or twice.. and they never looked back.. some dieback from the rough handling.. but otherwise.. they didnt care.. they are not a foo foo plant... so if you do it.. dont worry about them too much ... if you need .... learn how to dig and care for them after.. if you dont have that experience ...

good luck

ken

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Comments (7)

ego45
17 years ago
Theoreticaly you could transplant spireas any time of the year for as long as soil is workable, but...
We are going into July-August and watering newly transplanted plants will be a mandatory task, though spireas once established are drough tolerant.
If you could postpone transplanting to fall or even better to next spring you'll save yourself some extra work and dollars for the water.
In a mean time you could cut them (right after the bloom) in a half and they will grow back and rebloom for you.
If you'll transplant them in a spring, you could cut them to 6" to 1' off the ground, give them any shape you wish to and they will be big and luscious again by the bloom time. You could and should do that every spring.
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you should have done this, before it leafed out.. to avoid the uglies .. and the stress ... that being said.. if you can figure out how to kill a spirea... let me know.. lol ... just live with it.. water it.. but dont drown it... let it nearly dry in between waterings.. and it will survive... but it might not look great until next year ... and next time.. do this as soon as the ground thaws.. or in april .. or late fall ... oh well.. live and learn.. ken
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Hi! I think you could probably transplant them now if you could get a big enough root ball when you dig them up. You don't say how big they are, though. If they are very big, it might be better to wait until late fall, when they go dormant, to both prune and transplant them just so you don't stress them out with the pruning and transplanting and then have them croak in the heat. Then you'd need to be sure they didn't dry out during the winter when the new roots were forming. They need all the root system they have to gather enough food and water to bloom and survive. Have they bloomed yet? I'd definately wait until after they bloom.
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cziga
17 years ago
Sorry for resurrecting an older thread but I am looking into transplanting 2 spirea plants as well. Bridal Wreath, which I am told are fairly pricey plants. They've been growing in the same spot for almost 20 years now and are doing very well there. However, the road is being redone, and they will have to move.

I already know some basics. Dig big holes and get as much of the root system as possible. Do in in the fall (september, I'm thinking). Water frequently after moving them and expect some pouting.

I was just looking for any other tips. More specific ones, perhaps. Anything else I could do to give them the best chance of survival. They are my mother's favorite plants and if I kill them, i'll have to watch my back! She tried to move one of them several years back, and it did not survive, so any other advice would be greatly appreciated!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
the only thing i would add if you have more than one.. and they are treasured .... would be to move ONLY one in year one ... and see if you are successful ...

if not.. you better learn more ... before trying to do the second...

if you do it right.. then do the second, a year later .. withour fear ....

i hope you come back and read this... since the email wont go to you ...

ken
basic
17 years ago
I transplanted three of them in hot early August weather last summer. It can be done, but Ego's advice about watering is critical. A little pre-planning will increase their odds of survival and make the move less stressful for you and your plants. I'd have the holes where they'll be moved pre-dug and well-watered. You can cut them back as Ken mentions and then get as large of a root ball that you think you can safely handle. Again, try to make the hole they'll be moved to of sufficient depth & width to facilitate an efficient transfer, with minimal tinkering once they've been dug. Water 'em in and keep watering through summer.

It got really hot a couple of days after moving mine, but they quickly adjusted to their new digs and are doing well (with occasional supplemental watering this year due to drought we're in). They're tough plants and I doubt you'll have a problem. In a perfect world you'd do this during a lengthy period of cool, cloudy weather. I'd hope for that, but prepare for the opposite. Good luck with it.
basic
17 years ago
I transplanted three of them in hot early August weather last summer. It can be done, but Ego's advice about watering is critical. A little pre-planning will increase their odds of survival and make the move less stressful for you and your plants. I'd have the holes where they'll be moved pre-dug and well-watered. You can cut them back as Ken mentions and then get as large of a root ball that you think you can safely handle. Again, try to make the hole they'll be moved to of sufficient depth & width to facilitate an efficient transfer, with minimal tinkering once they've been dug. Water 'em in and keep watering through summer.

It got really hot a couple of days after moving mine, but they quickly adjusted to their new digs and are doing well (with occasional supplemental watering this year due to drought we're in). They're tough plants and I doubt you'll have a problem. In a perfect world you'd do this during a lengthy period of cool, cloudy weather. I'd hope for that, but prepare for the opposite. Good luck with it.
cziga
17 years ago
I would move them one at a time, except I won't be able to. The road is being redone, and they are in the way . . . I don't want the construction workers to kill them (we all know how much they care about the well-being of plants). They have to be moved this fall, and they all have to be moved together :( No room for error . . .

Thanks for the advice, I will definitely be pre-preparing the area and will make sure to water them well. All the hot, muggy and sunny weather we've been having should be replaced by a bit of cloud at some point :)