We just bought a new house and will move there soon. I have some very special plants that I want to take with me. If I transplant them now, will they survive? Some plants I want to move are my clematis, day lilies, Gladiolus, fall anemone, phlox, some iris, 1 hosta. Will these survive? Are there any tips on how to move them to give them a better chance of survival? Thanks Tina
The Glads, Iris and Lilies can be dug up and either kept bareroot or group them in pots and throw some dirt on top of them. The Lilies bulbs being for fall planting, might not bloom this spring but they will put up leaves and if you keep them in dirt they will probably bloom. The others should be just fine too. Depending on what your winter still holds in store, you might want to keep them in pots of dirt in garage and not put them into the ground until warmer weather....pretty much like you would if they were new plants you had just bought.
Tina, Congratulations on your new home. With our mild winter this year you are in luck. Actually you picked the perfect time of year to move. Transplant everything. Most things won't even know they have moved if you get large enough clumps of dirt with them since most plants are still dormant. Use sturdy cardboard boxes since you aren't moving far and get them in the ground the same day if you can. I've been moving plants around all winter. Just moved the blueberries out of pots this week. Some of my hellebores are starting to bloom that I moved the first of the month.. If you need to hold them over for a time and can't get them in the ground you might want to invest in some potting soil and plant the plants in the card board boxes or 5 gallon or larger plastic pots. (Think of the cardboard boxes as cheap temporary pots and be sure to place them close to where you will be planting them. They will start to decompose in short order.). Add potting soil to fill the pots/boxes and plant them at the same height they were in the ground. I currently have lilies, ferns, clematis, sedums, hostas, blueberries, small trees in pots. Over time I have had almost everything in pots and kept them potted up for multiple years. It takes me a long time to figure out where I want them planted. With our temperate climate a lot is possible with pots.
Thanks Toni and Jewel. I will do as you suggested. I am really hoping they survive the move. Thanks again!
Moved most of my beloved plants this past weekend. It was pouring rain throughout but we got the transplanting done. I feel pretty confident about the ones that were in the pot and we moved the pots but really anxious about the ones that are in the garden. So, these are the plants I moved and replanted in my new garden : 1 clematis which had just started to give out new green leaves. 1 Rose - very tiny new growth in it Bee balms lots of day lilies 1 hosta 1 phlox - no growth. I think still dormant 2 hydrangeas 1 fall anemone 1 Peony 1 hellebore which has 1 flower blooming 1 hellebore which has a bud Now the wait begins. Please send 'grow well' vibes to my plants.
Hi Tina,..sending ,..grow well,..in your direction,..and hope everything blooms for you,..delighted to see you took those plants with you,..shows you are a caring gardener.
Good luck there, Tina. I hope they all do well for you. If you just moved them you might want to put a paper bag over the ones that have a little bit of new growth just to give them a rest from trying to take up water and grow new roots at the same time. After a couple days take off the bags and watch them to make sure they don't wilt. If they wilt put the bags back over for a few more days. Just keep watching them.
Oh Its been 4 days I moved the plants and I didn't cover them with the paper bags. I wish I had read your response sooner, Carolyn.
If they look okay don't worry about it. It just helps to reduce stress if they are already growing. If they transplanted fine...no worries.
Rain was probably a good thing as long as it didn`t flood. Since you are in the same area and similar soil type,, they should just pic up where they left off once the roots are settled.
Tina, our weather has been perfect for transplanting. Great timing with the milder weather and rain. I too have moved several phlox and flowering hellebores. Everything is just beginning to wake up and I'm sure our cool, damp marine climate will encourage those babies.. I will be dividing and moving perennials from now through April. Like Carolyn said providing a little shade if the weather turns warm and sunny is a great and needed idea. A couple of large gardens that donate plant divisions for charity plant sales are doing the same. Friends and I have helped with the digging, dividing and potting in the past. Nothing like grown-up playing in the dirt to support a good cause.
