Transplant Troubles

5 years ago

The basics idea:

For whatever reason my boyfriend planted a rose of Sharon and a lilac right next to each other and right next to my fave- a beautiful pink hardy hibiscus. All three plants were doing great but last year the rose of Sharon did so well that it blocked most of the sun from reaching my hardy hibiscus.

The rose of Sharon and the lilac are both doing so well I would hate to mess that up by moving them. But they are so on top of one another that eventually one will have to be moved anyway.

The hibiscus is my priority. I would like to leave it where it is bc I don’t wana mess with it’s roots and bc it was so happy there before the Rose of Sharon blocked the sun. Plus it’s perfectly on display where it’s at.

However- if I’m digging out those other two- I might really do damage to the hibiscus roots anyway.

First 2 picks were taken today. I put the hedgehog over the spot where the hibiscus will pop up later I in the season. The bed faces south- so the photos Themselves are looking north. The rose of share is in the center and the lilac is on the right with the bugs already. The last pic is from several years ago and is just to show the size and placement of the hibiscus

What do I do?
Which do I move to do the least damage to all three- most importantly the hibiscus?

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Comments (7)

Embothrium
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Dig the rose of Sharon before it buds out. You wouldn't be able to do this now if it wasn't a kind that sprouts late each year. You can also cut it down low - maybe to 6 in. for instance - at the same time to make it easier to handle. Because these flower on the new growth and can actually therefore be pruned hard every spring without flowering being affected.

As for the lilac it is too late to dig that up now - you will have to wait until its next period of being dormant and leafless.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
just do what you gotta do.. and forget about hurting the other things .. they will recover and be be just fine ...

btw ... ROS is invasive in some areas .. if thats your area.. just get rid of it ... yeah. its pretty .. yeah they sell truckloads of them .. and it remains a seeding nightmare ...

the entire garden economy is based on moving things from grower to seller to you ... if these things were really so foo foo.. it woldnt be worthwhile ...

just dig around it.. yank it out.. oh,,.. dig new hole first.. drag it over there .. throw it in the hole.. half backfill it up.. fill hole with water.. when it drains ... fill with the rest of the soil.. water again ... and you should have 99% success rate ... dont try that in august.. lol .. success goes down ... but in spring.. thats is when you do it.. or fall ..

just do it.. and be done with it.. and water properly ... which mean deep watering thru the gob planted.. and then near drying.. this time of year.. it might not need water again for a month .. we really dont care if the surface looks dry ...

in future posts.. always include location ... big city name .. obviously its different in FL: than say.. maine ...

ken

ps: some mulch will reduce weeds .. and help maintain soil moisture around your transplant ...
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
oops.. didnt see the NJ part.. good enough.. my bad .. the rest stands ...
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
aw heck ... if you do it at the wrong time.. all you lose is flowers for the year.. you arent going to kill any of them ...

and.. use a search engine in the future.. to see future potential.. and space things accordingly ... in this case.. these shouls have bee 6 to 8 feet apart at a min .. and you can garden in between while they take over the space in the next decade ... e..g. rose of sharon ... just look at these pix: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=rose+of+sharon&iax=images&ia=images

this isnt rocket science.. so dont make it such.. now.. if you paid two thousand dollars for a single plant ... well.. be more careful .. but these arent those..

have no fear ...
Embothrium
5 years ago
If the rose of Sharon happens to be a fully double cultivar seed production is unlikely.
btydrvn
5 years ago
As an aesthetic aside ... I would split and spread the irises...and disperse any empty pots you may have .. into the empty spaces...and add annuals for instant spring and summer color...pick up the varied hanging mixed annual pots ...even at Walmart ... this gives you a full flower foundation as the perennials come and go in bloom
btydrvn
5 years ago
Just drop in