I've moved some that size before. They will loose all leaves and look like a dead stick for the rest of the year, but next spring they'll come back with a force. I guess they spend the year growing roots into the new home. This is what has always happened with me, anyway. Maybe, if you can move them without disturbing the roots at all, they won't notice. But their roots are big and deep.

But, even though they suffer from being moved, they're almost impossible to kill. I've grown them from small root pieces cut to shreds. They always come back the following spring.

Thanks!

The lilacs are now within 3' from the house, and I'm concerned the roots may damage the foundation wall over time. Will they?

I need some tall bushes (hardy and inexpensive). The spot is part shade and sandy. Honeysuckle is a possibility, if I trim it. Any suggestions?

My feeling is that summer is not a good time to move them. I might wait until fall. They probably would survive either way, though, part of the success will depend on how easily they come out, and how much soil comes out with the roots. I had a shrub which I moved in summer and the soil crumbled off of the roots while I was moving it. It did survive, but was greatly diminished in size.

If you do move it in summer and are able to somehow shade the shrub for a few days, that might help. I put a patio table over one shrub when I moved it in summer, just to shade it for a few days. Not sure if it helps, but I think it did.

Then again, the weather was so cool over the weekend, I was able to move a kiwi vine that I was planning on moving in fall. It wasn't that established, however, and was being moved to a shady spot in the yard.

I just moved my two lilac bushes and they are doing fine, still have all of there leaves. I moved one last year and it produced more flowers this year.

Hi

I just moved a lilac, but not as big as yours, I gave it starter fertilizer afterwards and then made sure I watered it every day. A few of the leaves have brown edges, but I just keep watering it. I will water it every day for another week and then cut back to about every 4 or 5 days days depending on the heat we get.

Debbie

I don't know how tall you mean by tall but here are a few ideas for that part shade spot : Hydrangea, Bottlerush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), Autumn Magic Chokeberry, Dogwood, Laceleaf maple or Azalea.

Good luck.

I moved one that was about a foot from the foundation to an open area in a corner of the lot a month or so ago. After cutting it down to about 2 foot high (was about 8') and cutting the root ball in half I planted the 2 halves. It looked really nice for awhile, new shoots and all. I just looked again the other day and the leaves are all curled up and very whitish, much more then is normal. It's been very wet here so it can't be from lack of water. I'm hoping that it'll come back in the spring. Looks pretty sick right now...

AS SOMEONE POSTED EARLIER (LIKE YEARS AGO) "LILACS ARE PRETTY HARD TO KILL. I AM PLANNING TO MOVE ONE AS SOON AS IT'S DONE FLOWERING. A PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE HOUSE PLANTED A LILAC, FLOWERING QUINCE AND A FORSYTHIA AT THE EDGE OF THE DRIVEWAY... (I'M TALKING LIKE LESS THAN A FOOT). TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, ALL 3 OF THESE RATHER SIZABLE SHRUBS, ARE IN A ROW SPACED LESS THAN 12" apart. Not sure what they were smokin' at the time, but; "DUH!?"

anyway in an effort to save them all, I'll leave the quince where it's at. of all 3, that's the one i'd hate to lose. I'm going to cut the lilac and the forsythia back hard. They're about 5 feet now, so i'll take them down to about 2' in order to make them easier to manage and also let them work on their root system in the new spot.

being so close to the driveway, and short of tearing up the driveway, i will no doubt lose most of the roots, and certainly they're entangled not only with each other, but with the quince.

Soooo; I'll take the chance. Actually last year, in a pruning fit, i yanked and cut the forsythia with the intent of removing it all together. One branch came out with a knot of a root (about 6-8"). when i was gathering up the cuttings to toss them I thought; "what the heck..." I cut it down to about 12" and stuck it in somewhere else and it took. Still a simple sapling, but leafing out well and new shoots coming along. I think in 2-3 years, it should be a reasonable young shrub.

My ol' man was a butcher when it came to moving trees, and he always managed to get the lilacs to work irregardless of the time of year, how little root he kept, and general lack of soil amendment. I figure if he couldn't kill one, then pretty much anything goes.

His luck with Dogwood was not so good. it seemed like every year he'd go into the woods in the spring (bad time) find one, dig it up, then bring it home and plant it in the yard for Ma. He watered the heck out of it, but they always died. Of course he meant well, bless his heart, however i have come to believe his greatest error was placement. Seemed he couldn't grasp the concept of a Dogwood as an understory tree, needing shelter. He planted them out in the middle of the yard with full sun, and not another tree in sight....