Back on the Rose of Sharon topic... They are widening the road just 1/4 mile from my home. (In western North Carolina) Many Homes were bought along the roadside to be torn down to make way for the wider road. Several homes have trees and shrubs and this (summer) July, it has been a free for all! Everyone and grandmas have been going through the yards of the homes torn down and cleaning out all plants, shrubs, and trees. I personally found a home with over 11 rose of Sharon trees/bushes. Each at approx 6 feet or more in height. Now, I have so far managed to transplant only 2. The two were in very difficult soil conditions. The soil at this place is hard as nails and full of quarts stone. The only way to remove from these areas of poor digging conditions we found was to use tow straps, wrap the base with slick plastic so as not to damage cambium layer And pull out with my truck, gently. Successfully and hard to believe but we got 95% of the root ball including the tap without the strap sliding up the trunk and stripping off the bark or cambium layers. We Planted just yesterday with a mere 1/4 mile to my home it was a fast transplant. The only time roots were exposed was the time it took to dig. We covered the ball during transport. We dug the hole deep and wide. Obviously we planted as deep as it was originally. But to allow the roots ease of expansion we made lose of soil all around the ball. Far wider than existing. Now in nearly Perfect soil conditions especially in comparison to its original. I'm looking at it this morning and I have not seen any wilt so far (fingers crossed). However it is July. So I will post back very soon on its progress. Because it was literally around the corner from its original home and was only out of ground about 25-35 minutes while we dug we may have succeeded. I will inform more once and if it survives.

I have a 4 foot tall Blus Satin Rose of sharon hardy hibiscus, which I planted in 2005. I am training it into a tree form, but now want to move it to a different house across town. Should I only root prune it now, and move it after it goes dormant, or can I move it now, if I keep as much of the dirt around the roots as possible?

So, while not ideal leaving the rootball exposed for an extended period of time, 25 degrees is probably not cold enough to have killed the roots on a Rose of Sharon. Root desiccation is also a concern but hopefully you dodged that one too.

I live in growing zone 8a. The Rose Of Sharon plants were juvenile saplings about two ft. high. They were cut off accidentally near the ground .about 2 inches of the single stems remain. Will they die or can I transplant the root ball and whats left of the stem this fall?