My mother had a large number of Oak leaf and other hydrangeas (some from her grandmother) and, now that I have a house I want to bring 15 or so from their house to mine. She planted them almost 30 years ago so they are well established. When and how is the best way for me to dig up and move some of her beauties a good 300 miles to my home so I can have another piece of my mom with me?
Anyone ever attempted something like this and any success
Wait till winter?
Cut them back first?
How far out and how deep do I need to dig?
Major move for much loved heirloom hydrangeas when & how?
I have not tried this with 30-years old hydrangeas but these are my thoughts on the subject....
1. The best time to transplant a hydrangea is when the plant is dormant. That may be late November or earlier (depends on where the house is).
2. Dig up as much of the original root ball as possible (the weight may be a problem but dig up to the drip line), cover it with burlap so it does not fall apart and water it deeply once it arrives to its new location.
3. If the plants will be dug up "today" but not transported for several days, you will need to water them so have available water sources handy. Note that this increases the weight of the plant so be ready to ask for help moving the shrubs.
4. Protect the plants from drying highway winds if transporting them in a pickup bed. If using a U-Haul type of truck, that may be ok but, be aware that non-airconditioned units will get very hot inside should you try to move them when outside temps are warm.
5. Once transplanted, do not use any chemical fertilizers until you see evidence of growth. Instead of chemicals, use Liquid Seaweed. It contains many useful minerals and should not stress the plants as much as regular chemicals. The preferred fertilizer for hydrangeas is composted manure; next year, apply some around the base of the plant & thru the drip line in May and June/July and that is it for fertilizers until 2008. If you will be moving the plants to a house in the northern half of the country then apply once in June.
6. During the plants' first two summers, keep an eye on soil moisture since the plants will not be fully recovered and established.
7. Some of the original plants may not make it so have a Plan "B" ready: take cutting from all the plants that you want to save; do it now so you have something to replace the original plant(s) with should it/they not survive the transplant.
8. Depending on how stressed the plants are, they may not bloom at all or they may have reduced bloomage in their first year; should this happen, do not panic. Also, it is normal for transplanted blue/pink hydrangeas to alter their color somewhat when transplanted; should this happen, do not panic.
Good luck with the move, mininissandog!
Luis
Great ideas, I have tagged the ones I planed to pull out when they were blooming but hadn't considered cuttings earlier to ensure that I won't loose them. I also didn't know that they could possibly change colors quickly I thought it was a gradual thing but it makes sense now. That would have been quite a shock.
Thank you so much Luis!
I look forward to putting more of her in my garden thanks to you!
Injuries (think cutting the roots) will temporarily cause some types of pink/blue hydrangeas to color change/fade. It is not common. The color change/fade will be in areas fed by the injured root and in some blooms within that area. If the plant is about to start blooming when it is injured then it may color change/fade. The "typical" color change that most people talk about (going from pink to blue or vice-versa) is a different and slow/gradual process. Good luck!