Transplanting Mock Orange Shrubs: Learn When To Transplant Mock Orange

Mock orange (Philadelphus spp.) is an outstanding deciduous shrub for your garden. Various species and cultivars exist, but the most popular is Philadelphus virginalis, an early summer flowering plant with fragrant white flowers. If you are planting or transplanting mock orange shrubs, you’ll need to know how and when to start the process. Read on for information about how to transplant a mock orange shrub.

Transplanting Mock Orange Shrubs

If you buy mock orange shrubs in containers, you’ll need to transplant them into the flower beds. Alternatively, you may be moving a mock orange bush from one location in the garden to another. In either case, you’ll want to prepare the new planting site, removing weeds and working the soil well. Mix generous amounts of peat moss, compost, or composted manure into the existing soil. After that, add transplanting fertilizer to the soil to assist in new root development. Dig the planting holes before you remove the new shrubs from their containers or from their prior planting locations. Be sure the site meets the cultivar’s light and soil requirements.

When to Transplant Mock Orange

It’s important to know when to transplant mock orange shrubs before you begin. If you have purchased container plants, you can transplant them to your garden in any season. Select a moment when the weather is neither extremely hot nor very cold. If you are moving a mock orange bush from one location in your garden to another, you’ll want to act while the plant is dormant. This is generally the winter season, between November and the beginning of March.

How to Transplant a Mock Orange Shrub

When your mature bush outgrows its location, it’s time to learn how to transplant a mock orange shrub. Start by irrigating the shrub thoroughly a couple of days before. If the mock orange is large, tie up its branches to keep them safe during the procedure. The next step in moving a mock orange bush is to be sure that the planting hole is large enough. It should be at least 2 feet (61 cm.) deep and twice as wide as the root ball. Then, take a sharp spade or shovel and dig a trench around the shrub to be moved. Make the trench 24 inches (61 cm.) deep, and at least a foot (31 cm.) from the trunk of the shrub. Sever any roots you encounter, then cut the roots under the plant before lifting out the root ball and transporting it to the new location. Place the mock orange’s root ball in the hole, then tuck the soil around it. Water the plant generously to soak the soil to the depth of the root ball. Untie the branch twine and add mulch around the root area. Keep providing water the entire first season.