Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - June 09, 2005
From: Ridgeland, SC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Transplants
Title: Transplanting native azaleas in South Carolina
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
When is the best time to transplant azaleas in South Carolina Low Country?ANSWER:
There are many wonderful native azaleas in South Carolina and they can usually be transplanted with success. The best time to transplant azaleas and nearly any other woody species is in the fall. To increase your chances of success and to give your transplanted azaleas the best start is to "pre-dig" them a few months to one year before you are ready to move them. Here's is how you do it. With a shovel or sharpshooter (a long-bladed spade) dig straight down all the way around the plant to be moved, forming a complete circle the desired size of the root ball. It is not necessary to remove soil at this point, you simply want to sever the roots at the edge of the root ball. In the ensuing months, the plant will develop new feeder roots within the root ball and thus will be much more likely to survive the move. It is a good idea to remove some of the top of the plant when transplanting. This will also reduce the stress of the move and help your azalea recover more quickly.
More Transplants Questions
Need shrubs to plant alongside a swimming pool in Tampa, FL.
September 05, 2011 - I Have a 3 1/2 foot gap between my pool screen and back fence. This gap runs about 30 ft. long. I would like to place small trees to look beautiful and to grow 6-8 ft. high to screen out my neighbor...
view the full question and answer
Recovery from transplant shock for bougainvillea
July 12, 2007 - I live outside of Phoenix. I just bought a bougainvillea in a large pot. It was doing nicely until I brought it home. I placed it in a sunny spot in my front yard inside of a large volcanic rock that ...
view the full question and answer
Transplanting Desert willows in El Paso, TX
August 27, 2009 - We have some volunteer Desert Willows growing on an empty lot nearby. Can we dig them up and transplant them in the yard? If so, how? They are about 3-4 feet tall
view the full question and answer
Southern Woodferns in TX
May 06, 2010 - I have recently bought some 3 gallon southern woodferns, and have planted them in the shade in a low spot with clay soil. It seems to be a good location for the ferns, but a week or two after transpla...
view the full question and answer
Dividing and planting Yucca and pups in New Mexico
June 23, 2009 - I bought a Yucca plant and had 7 plants in one planter 1 large and 6 small. We wanted to split up the plants so we carefully separated them and planted them. My soil is very sandy (Rio Rancho) but I...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |