I have a situation where I need to move 5 mature hydrangea due to construction. I understand the best time to transplant is late November - late December while the plants are dormant. Living in coastal New England, our ground freezes and thaws constantly until late March - April. What are my chances of survival if I move these plants in late March???
catch the ground in a thaw, dig them up and put them in an old tarp or burlap bag, back into the hole you got them out of, unless you have their new spot ready for them. i think if you get the right from one spot to the other, you should be ok. just get the largest rootball you can get.
also, remember that hydrangeas have very thick, sturdy root systems. they are going to be difficult to move.
definitely get as much of the root system as you can - go wide for it AND deep!
if they are to be moved permanantly, do it right away. i'd also use root stimulant treatment in the new spot, too. and make sure you water properly - even if it is still kind of chilly and they are still in dormancy, they'll still need the water.
if they are to be put back where they were originally, putting burlap around the roots and plopping them in temporary holes would be what i would do - just in case you get a hard freeze, the roots would be protected.
do not expect a lot of growth this season as the roots will have to reestablish and any time you transplant the plants will be shocked a bit - and hydrangea seem to not like to be moved. at least, that's what my experience with the transplant i did was and that was done at the correct time of year. it took two full years for it to get back on track.
Shop at Amazon and Support AGF
Are you shopping online? Click this link first and A Gardeners Forum will receive a commission for your
referral at Amazon.com (shopping through this link to Amazon will not have any impact on your prices at Amazon).
