Moving Rose Of Sharon – How To Transplant Rose Of Sharon Shrubs

Rose Of Sharon Shrubs
rose of sharon
(Image credit: JIMYUNG KO)

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a large, hardy shrub that produces bright showy blossoms that are white, red, pink, violet and blue. The bush blossoms in summer, when only a few other shrubs flower. With a stiff, upright habit and open branches, Rose of Sharon works in both informal and formal garden arrangements. Transplanting a Rose of Sharon shrub is not difficult. Read on for tips on how and when to transplant a Rose of Sharon.

Moving a Rose of Sharon

You may decide that moving Rose of Sharons is the best idea if you find that they are planted in shade or in an inconvenient location. Rose of Sharon transplanting is most successful if you undertake the task at the optimal time.

When do you transplant a Rose of Sharon? Not in the summer or winter. Your plants will be stressed if you try to transplant them when the weather is too hot or cold. Moving Rose of Sharon bushes at these times can kill them.

If you want to know when to transplant a Rose of Sharon, the best time to do it is while the shrubs are dormant. This is generally November through March. It stresses a plant to move it during the growing season, and it will take longer to establish in the new location.

It's best to plan on transplanting a Rose of Sharon shrub in autumn. Moving the shrubs in the fall gives them all winter and spring to establish a strong root system before their flowering period. It is also possible to transplant in spring.

How to Transplant Rose of Sharon

When you are transplanting a Rose of Sharon, preparation of the new site is important. Remove all of the grass and weeds from the new planting location, and amend the soil with organic compost. You can do this toward summer’s end.

When you are done preparing the soil, dig a planting hole. Make it twice as big as you expect the shrub’s root ball to be.

November is a good Rose of Sharon transplanting time. If the plant is very big, trim it back to make transplanting a Rose of Sharon easier. You can also tie up the lower branches if you are afraid you will injure them.

Gently dig around the plant’s roots and try to keep as many of them as you can in the root ball. Lift out the root ball carefully.

Place the plant in its new planting hole so that it is sitting at the same depth as it was in the prior planting location. Pat extracted earth around the sides of the root ball, then water well.

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Teo Spengler
Writer

Teo Spengler has been gardening for 30 years. She is a docent at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Her passion is trees, 250 of which she has planted on her land in France.