This is what it means to be a gardener. We all try new plants from time to time, and we plant them according to what we've read or been told each plant needs. That does not mean the plants will thrive in their first home. When it becomes apparent a plant is not doing well, it's up to the gardener to figure out what the problem is and find a better place for that plant.

Congrats on the new house. We do what we need to do when they are suffering. Glad they are responding well.

I moved this heliopsis last night and it has barely even flinched ... well, okay, I had driven a spade into the ground about six weeks ago to gently lift the plant and give it a bit of a root pruning to reduce transplant shock of its anticipated move, a technique that works very well. Yes, it will though require extra watering until new roots are put down. I have other root pruned perennials waiting to be moved and many in pots.

You can transplant any time of the year. The only time there may be an issue is if you move a large mature plant, you may lose a lot of dirt struggling to get it out of the ground. A lot more than anticipated. Even then, you can cut the stems way down after moving and the plant will almost always respond with new growth after the roots establish. If the ground is frozen like concrete, you should probably wait until spring.

Glad you were able to save them!!

doesnt surprise one bit ...

NEVER MOVE A STRESSED PLANT.. especially DROUGHT STRICKEN PLANT ...

but your plants were not in drought ... so moving them was actually a benefit ...

go figure...

I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY REPOTTED THEM.. AND OUT THEM IN SHADE FOR THE REST OF HOT SUMMER.. AND PLANTED.,...ooops.. lol... planted them in fall ...

but your method worked.. so who cares what i might have done ... but you are right.. no root stress on your the way you did it ...

ken

I've moved a lot of shrubs and plants at the "wrong" time of the year. They often do fine. I yanked up an azalea and replanted it because it was in deep, dry shade and on the rare years it bloomed, the blooms were hidden behind a tree. It's doing well in it new home. I rescued a fothergillia that had been plowed up in my office's parking lot. It's thriving.

Plants are tough, no doubt about it.

I used to say that my plants must be on roller skates because they moved around so much!

Heck, I will move a plant at any point of the year, usually when I can finally get around to it. Just moved a bunch of plants in the allotment plot, which is mostly where I do my vegetable gardening. I had planted two blueberry bushes, a blackberry bush and currant bush earlier this spring - they were all doing terribly and I found at as I dug them up I had done on awful job of planting (roots encircling; dry as a bone soil). Didn’t help that weather has been so dry, even though I THOUGHT I was watering the side where I had originally planted them really well. I moved them in time for some heavy rains yesterday and later this week, and I think they are thankful!

I moved two daylillies yesterday. We had 2 inches of rain the day before so the ground was nice and soft. 95° today and tomorrow and the next day etc etc. But I think they will be just fine.

Glad they moved well for you. I do move a lot throughout the year but also have a long list for fall for some bigger renovation.

@FrozeBudd_z3/4 is that Heliopsis Burning Hearts? Really a stunner! I noticed GeoSeed sells seed for Burning Hearts and have been considering giving it a try.

Iowa Blooms, it's 'Bleeding Hearts' heliopsis, very nice both in foliage and bloom, a seed grown strain that makes for some degree of variance between individual plants.

OH very nice. Thank you for the information. Unfortunately Geoseed doesn't offer Bleeding Hearts. I see I was confused between the two when I posted. I have a young Burning Hearts (more of a ring coloration in center from pictures) I hope to see bloom next year.

Looking at online pictures, there sure is a lot of variation in "Bleeding hearts". You have a very lovely specimen!