Just transplanted 8 big azaleas: Root stimulator or not?
theconstantgardeners
13 years ago
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theconstantgardeners
13 years agoRelated Discussions
Transplanting Mature Azaleas
Comments (4)Are you about a zone 8 there? If you you think you can really be ready in a month or so, I think you are safe going with the burlap. Try to take as large a rootball as you can manage, move them someplace protected out of wind and sun if you are having sun. (rough rule of thumb is aim for a rootball equal in diameter to 2/3s the plants height, even though you can expect roots to extend out as far as the widest branches) Piling up some soil or mulch temporarily around the burlapped roots will help to retain moisture and protect them from cold - that may be less traumatic than installing them in the ground briefly, and you could run the risk of temporary planting holes filling up with winter rain and staying too wet too. I hope your renovation goes smoothly and on schedule. We burlapped several rhododendrons for a neighbor one year for a remodel project that somehow became an all summer into fall job. She did lose about 3 of the 8 but I suspect they had very little attention all those weeks....See MoreAir potato vine and transplanting azaleas
Comments (2)welcome. wait until cool or cold weather to transplant azaleas. december or january is a good time. they are very shallow-rooted (bog plants tend to be). they transplant very easily -- even mammoth ones can be transplanted. be sure to plant them slightly (a couple of inches) above their (previous) surface -- the one thing that azaleas cannot stand is wet feet. they will quickly settle back to ground level. after transplanting, you should trim them heavily, by about 1/3. you'll lose the first season's blooms. air potatoes are a nuisance, but patient maintenance is the best way to deal with them. it takes a couple of years, but if you control them by pulling the vines, eventually you'll get them out of your plot. when we moved in 5 yrs ago, the yard & trees were covered in them. this is the first year that they are almost completely under control. think of them as compost. with all things that flower (i can't think of an exception except maybe fruit trees), the best time to prune is right after bloom. azaleas are very tough plants. it takes a certain sense of purpose to kill them....See MoreTransplanting old azalea bushes
Comments (3)UPDATE: I cut the azaleas back significantly (they were about 5 feet tall and I cut them back to about 18 inches) and they have looked awful. I'm sure my neighbors are talking about me :) They are finally starting to put out little buds where there will be leaves so I think they are going to make it. They are in a place where they will get full sun and I have a feeling they are not going to love it there but I will give it a year and if they limp along, they will be moved to the other side of the fence or house. Thank you for the great advice!...See MoreAid in stimulating root growth in transplanted trees???
Comments (6)GraceNmercy, micorrhizae are indeed fascinating organisms, and research within natural settings continues to show a huge array of species and relationships out there. But.........all research I've seen so far attempting to show a positive response from proprietary products has been dissappointing, save for a few studies in sterile soils such as mine tailings, where a response was noted and measured. So what I'm saying is that, while nature is doing this all over the place, and in ways we've just barely begun to understand, human efforts to provide a beneficial product have mostly failed so far. What you can do to ensure survival of your trees is A) Plant them in native soil-no amendments around the backfill area, B) Inspect root systems when you take them out of their pots and correct or attempt to correct any winding, circling roots you see. Also on that score, some practitioners have actually begun to wash or otherwise remove all of the potting mix, which is almost surely of a drastically different texture than the soil into which the plants will be going. this is to ensure water movement into the original rootball. Remember, there are no roots initially beyond this rootball. If that thing dries out, the plant will die. C) Try to water in a timely fashion. May be easier said than done, I know. FWIW, I've planted thousands of seedlings with no watering ever, and had most survive. Some which went into the ground as little as three and four years ago are now approaching twenty feet in height. So it can work! Mycorrhizal products will come on line at some point, that do actually work. That is my belief and I consider it the future of all cropping systems. We're just not there yet. It's highly complex stuff, and so far at least, I do not believe we've solved issues of survival, proper matching of fungal component to plant species, etc. +oM...See Morerhodyman
13 years agotheconstantgardeners
13 years agorhodyman
13 years agotheconstantgardeners
13 years ago
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