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Hydrangea -- Zone 7 transplanting schedule?

4K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  gardenmom 
#1 ·
I can't find any information about the best time to transplant hydrangea (in zone 7 - D.C. area).

I've heard all over the map.

Anyone have any experience with this? The shrubs are so lovely I really don't want to lose a year or more of their beatiful blooms.

Also, any hydrangea specific planting/maintenance tips? TIA!
 
#2 ·
Fall or spring are the usual transplanting times, as the plant is dormant and will adapt quickly to its new surroundings. Sometimes I lose things when I transplant in the fall. I think the roots don't have enough time to readjust before the ground freezes, but that will probably not be an issue where you garden.
 
#3 ·
Right now should be great for you. I don't think you'll lose all of next year's blooms unless you prune back too hard (if it's a macrophylla--big leaf hydrangea--which blooms on the previous years' growth), though I do recommend you prune back a little.

Just get a good sized root ball on it and plant and water it well!

I'm in zone 6b/7 long island, and I need to move a hydrangea too...if I only could decide WHERE to put it, I'd be in business!!!
 
#4 ·
Excellent! I'm not sure what kind of hydrangea they are, but the leaves are big and it does bloom under the new growth, so I assume macrophylla is right. Do I have to prune back at all before transplanting?

I'm going to try to get them into the ground next weekend. Re: the root ball... how big? I think, for example, basketball size would be too small. The hydrangea range in size from ~3 to 5 feet diameter.
 
#5 ·
Sorry about the latin name thing...it's like my other native language (Horticulture..not Latin
), and I forget to use the common names sometimes.

Macrophyllas are the 'big leaf' hydrangeas, usually flowering in the pink to blue range, though a few are white. They are either mophead (round ball shape) or lacecap (row of large, sterile flowers in a ring surrounding a group of the small, fertile flowers to make a flat top). The leaves are big, bright green and shiny, usually quite fleshy.

I would say a good 2 foot (across) root ball would be great, though it will probably survive with less. Most roots are within 12" of depth, so if you can go a little deeper than that, you should be safe. I would prune 2/3 of the new, this-year's green wood off, and selectively remove a few larger stems right to the base if you can without wrecking the shape--if not, no worries. If you can, tie the rest of the branches up before trying to dig around it. Next Spring when you see where the buds for new growth are, you should take any extra dead sticks out, and prune back to just above the first healthy bud (from the top) on old wood.

Most important, make sure you re-plant at the same soil level, and make sure there are no air pockets around the roots. Water it in heavily and continue to water it 2-3x a week until you turn your hose off for the winter.

Enjoy!!
 
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