Button bush, transplant easy?

14 years ago

Hi! I really hate to transplant anything anymore that appears to be doing well... there's the BUT. I "inherited" a button bush (never got it's true name) from my mom, it was a nursery pot in spring. It's doing well, despite the drought, and it's reportedly copious need for moisture. The problem is that it's location is, somehow, come to be on a huge mound (then later comes beautyberries, etc)... I would like to move it (UGH) to an area in back near the moisture loving river birch (suffering this year)but I don't know if it transplants somewhat okay when dormant. The bush is only about 2 feet in diameter, and maybe 2 feet high. It sounds like a baby, but when I was doing root prodding to see how far out the roots came (the white, feeders?)... they came out quite a distance..

I don't know if this develops any type of taproot which would make transplanting harder, or how it would suffer from loss of feeder roots. I know it would be HEAVY and that that would alone possibly break it a bit as the soil is heavier and moist..

Would you attempt to move this, or not risk losing it? The birds ate the buttons it seems, so I may not get seedlings. It seems to sucker?

IF I were to move it safely, when? Would I need to root prune first with shovel?

Thanks for any advice/suggestions!

amy

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
i would move nothing in august.. to much potential for high heat after cutting the roots ... and i would not trust this little respite we have been having this august ...

i would target when days are in the 70s and nights in the 50s ....

so you have some time to plan.. unless it is imperative to do it right now??

if you bought a plant that size.. it would probably come in a 5 gallon pot ... so that would be about the size of rootmass i would plan on.. within easy ability to handle ...

i never heard of root prodding.. hmmm..

do NOT root prune it.. its old school.. and if you think about it.. why would you stress the beegeebees out of it now.. and then stress it again.. in a few weeks ... if you had wanted to root prune.. it should have been done in spring... or last fall ...

water deeply.. and thoroughly in the weeks ahead.. dig new hole .. dig plant.. move to new hole.. fill half way.. water well.. fill the rest.. and give it PROPER WATER for all of next year ...

do you know how to make a rootball??? ..

and dont be afraid to bind it up with rope to squish it together.. to aid in digging and moving ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
jimbobfeeny
14 years ago
If it's the same buttonbush I know (cephalanthus occidentalis), you can move it whenever you want, and it'll do just fine (with water, of course). Fall is the best time to move things in my opinion, as the soil is still warm (roots grow as long as the soil is warm enough - above 55 degrees), and the sun isn't quite so intense. Heat has usually subsided by mid-September around here, so that's when I plant most of my plants.

Back to buttonbush, it is an extremely easy shrub - It blooms on new wood, so it can be cut to the ground every fall and still put on a show the following year - I have done this with one in a perennial border. It does make a nice shrub, though - Very fast growing! They do transplant quite easily.
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greyandamy
Original Author
14 years ago
are some of its leaves supposed to be turning brown now, or it too being damaged in the bog?

maybe its planted too high, but even a plant like that thaat can grow in water reportly wants root flare exposed and can be damaged vy springtine flooding? dont know how...
wouldnt it be like a bald cypress could develop knees if planted in deeper wetter site? maybe it's too alkine there? does it want acidic soil too? how much do deer like these?

amy