You can really move them now or up to a a couple of weeks after labor day....water well before you move them, cut them back to about 4 inches, take a big rootball have the new hole dug before you dig them out....and just plop into the new hole and keep well watered for for a couple of weeks and they will be fine.
Linda C

Hi Blackie,

I moved one in the spring and it sulked for a while (in fact, I thought it was dying) but pulled through. I would follow Linda's advice, but I wonder if spring would be a better time? I am thinking so because I looked in Tracy DiSabato-Aust's book and she says any dividing of these should be done in spring. Transplanting is sort of like dividing (except even more stressful for the plant, I would think).

Good luck!

I tried to move my 'May Night' at one point, and discovered that it had a LARGE DEEP root ball. I manhandled it out of the ground and transplanted it. The transplant has sulked ever since; the original resprouted from a large leftover root and is husky as ever. So, my advice is water it well, cut it back, and dig deep when you move it.

Laurel

Thanks for all the help, this is truely the place to go with questions. laurelin, how many years had your plants been in that one place ?? These have been there for a little while... I believe I will wait until next spring, to give them the whole year in their new place to get re-established. Thanks again for all your help !!! I love these plants, possibly my favorites...

{{gwi:260181}}

Blackie

Blackie, thanks so much for turning me into a lover of grasses with your pics over the years! They have really influenced me - I bought two autumn light and one morning light this year and hoping one day they'll look like yours!

What a gorgeous pic that is above. Reminds me a little bit of the cover of Burrell's book, Perennial Combinations.

Good luck with the transplanting!

Thanks Pam !!! That DOES make me feel good that my modest garden inspired someone. Grasses are no puzzle, just plop them in the ground and watch them grow !!! As my buddy Jake says over in the "Ornamental Grass" forum, they are the "Man's Perrenial"... Cut em down, grab a beverage, and watch them grow..." No fuss, no muss...

...and NO offense ladies...

Blackie

I've had May Nights for many years, and here is what I would do. In early September when they're looking ratty (well, mine do at that time!), cut them back so they look neat and tidy. Then move them and keep watered well so they can get established before winter. I think they'll take off and be good and large next year that way.

Whenever I've moved May Nights in the spring, they pout. They stay pretty small almost all season. I would definitely give them a running start on next year and move them in late summer or early fall. This is a perennial that blooms pretty early, hence the name May Night. It's sending up buds really early in the season, and plants prefer not to move when they're getting ready to flower.

Tina McG

Hmmmmm thanks Tina. That's a good point about moving them this year as opposed to next, and one I hadn't considered. I believe I will move them this year as opposed to bext. They have pretty much finished their second bloom now (in fact I was going to deadhead them tonight), so maybe I will just water them good tonight, cut them back as you say and move them this weekend. That will give them ample time to recover before winter comes.

Blackie

Blackie,

My 'May Night' had been in place for at least two years, so it was well-established when I tried to move it. Mine doesn't get any TLC at all, so I'm amazed that it's still going (dry sun by the house foundation). I think Tina may be right about moving them in the fall so they get a start on the next season.

Laurel

Blackie, why don't you move some this fall and the rest in the spring? That way you're hedging your beds, and you can also report back to us on which way worked best... just a thought from someone who admittedly loves an experiment!

Hm since there ARE two on each sied, I could move two now and two next spring and see which are better.....sounds like a plan

OK, I cut the plants back two days ago, watered them well and moved the plants yesterday. They seem to be doing just fine. Dug a pretty big rootball around each one and I'll keep them watered well and see how they respond. Hopefully they will do just fine and get a good foothold before the cold weather sets in.

Blackie

I think these plants are a lot tougher than you think. I just dug up mine, chopped the root ball into several smaller pieces and replanted them. I looks fine.
James

I moved mine this spring from a protected, partial sun area where they had been growing for three years, to a windy, full sun garden. They sulked for a little over a week, but I made sure that they had some shade during that time. They seem to be very healthy now.

Last October (2015) I transplanted my violet Salvia. I had it next to a fence and it couldn't spread out. At first it looked dead. This spring it came back and looks a lot better then when by the fence!!! And believe it or not the transplanted spot grew another plant. I thought I got it all in one piece. My question is when can I transplant the surprise Salvia? Can I do it before October or was I lucky and should wait until the Spring? Thanks! Phil

One more question, how do I deadhead Shasta Daisies?

phil

phil .. you need to start your own posts.. especially when you want to change subjects ...

as to moving stuff ... it near 100 in MI today... not really time to move anything.. and july/august isnt much more forgiving.. so to make it all easy ... we move things when night temps are cool ... 50s or 60s ... so the stressed plant can recover from whatever the day throws at it ...

of course.. if you happen to be in the PNW .. where there is no blistering sun.. no heat.. and lots of rain.. go for it whenever... you need to add where you are for good suggestions ...

stuff really wont die with a little followup water .. its more about how ugly they might be .. for the rest of the year ...

these general rules dont really change for annuals.. perennials.. trees... shrubs.. conifers.. etc ... its all about plant stress ...

look forward to you daisy post ...

ken

Thanks Ken not sure what you mean (posts) being the new kid..

I'm in zone 5/6 northeast new york state. Although i read most people transplanted in the Spring i did it in October when it was beginning to go dorment (i'm guessing since it was turning brown). I'm sure the temp was in the 50's -60's. Since i was successful in October i will stick with it.

I plan on transplanting the one that came back....

Thanks for the quick response.

Any advice on dead heading Shasta Daisies??

Phil

Phil, if you go to the top of this page, there's a set of links "GardenWeb Topics/Garden Forums/Perennials". If you click on the Perennials link, there is an empty box near the top where you can start a new post. In this case, since it's the same topic for the first question, it's fine, but the second one about the daisies is a totally different subject, so in order to get answers from folks who grow shastas (I don't) you want to start a new post with shasta daisy deadheading in the title.

Also, that way you will be notified of any answers rather than the original poster of this thread.

I have 3 May Nights that are now too close to bigger plants. Does anyone know whether you must divide them ever so often to keep them from dying out? They are sprawling so much now that I tied them up last year after pruning them. It might be they are getting too much food from the roses near them, or they are in too much shade. When I moved another one last year I noticed that it looked like it would be hard to separate easily. They have a big ball and it all radiates from one root. Does anyone know how to do it ? I mangled mine, and it only recovered late in the year. Also, if you are growing several sages dont they mix? I have had several plants come from seed of May Night and I would like to get some other blue ones like Blue Hill. I would like to keep the colors separate. Any comments?

I have two large purple salvia and I had four smaller rose salvia in my bed, the rose ones never came back this year. They have been in the bed for about three or four years. Any idea why? And I’m thinking moving the purple ones due to space changes now that they are bigger any from the comments I will wait until September for that.

Jk, it's probably better to start your to thread than comment on a really old thread.

Some salvias are not hardy in certain zones but can sometimes persist for a few years. I have several salvias planted as annuals coming back from rootstock. I'm not sure how long my luck will hold, but, hey, free plants!

If it's still cool (ish) in your area, I would move the salvias now. My plants transplant the best in Spring before we are consistently in the 80's - 90's. There are many who swear by Fall transplanting, but I have lost plants this way and don't move or buy plants late in the year anymore.