Moving a potentilla
Stephanie newish gardener
Posts: 516
Hi,
We have an old potentilla, probably about 20 years old, which we have decided is in the wrong place. I am happy to try to move it, but equally ready to buy another if general wisdom suggests that to move it is futile.
The pics show an old broom which is to come out this year, and there is a stump of some old shrub we took down several years ago that will finally come out too - you can see the new shoots coming off the stump immediately in front of the aged broom in the lower pic. That will leave the space in the middle of the bed for the potentilla, assuming it might survive. And yes, the sad-looking brown thing is the potentilla, which reliably produces masses of bright yellow flowers all season long. The broom has gorgeous red and yellow flowers but really is well past its best, but it has self-seeded two new offspring so I'm hopeful they will do well (and will soon be the subject of another question!)
Apart from the potentilla being old, it is also close to the lawn and I guess I will either have to dig up a bit of the lawn or cut through some significant roots to get it out of the ground.
So, my fellow wise and experienced gardeners, what would you do?? I'm thinking worse case scenario is we dig it up and put it in a corner of the garden and see what happens, whilst buying a decent size established bush to fill the gap in the middle of the border.
All thoughts welcome, and please bear in mind very little of the bed was planted by us, it is still quite a bit as it was when the house was bought 18 years ago, apart from the leaning ceanothus which is also likely to find a new home soon.
Thanks
Last edited: 12 February 2018 22:24:18
Posts
Do you mean Dasiphora fruticosa?
If so, I would cut it down completly and move it.
I'm not sure I do, but having Googled it then perhaps so - I've always known it as potentilla.
When you say cut it down and move it, do you mean cut it down then dig it up and relocate? Or cut it down and bin it?
I was hoping to keep the height as I want instant gratification in the garden for once, so if I have to lose it I will be looking to buy a well-established replacement of similar height to sit in the middle of the bed.
I think this is one that has had its name changed (just to confuse us all!!).
Dasiphora fruticosa it may be now but I will always call it Potentilla!
I would give it a go. Cut all the top growth down to about 3ft or so, dig round the roots in a circle, cutting them off if you have to, then move it to the new place, having dug a hole wider than it is deep, putting a handful of bonemeal in the bottom, together with some well rotted manure. Make sure it's well firmed down and water it in well (even if it's raining or has rained), and keep your fingers crossed. It will either survive or not, so you've nothing to lose. Keep it well watered over the next year until it's growing strongly again. The following year, take out some of the stems in the middle of the bush.
Alternatively you could cut off most of the very congested top growth and take out most of the side nearest the lawn? Would that help or do you really want it in the middle.
It's always a gamble moving very old shrubs like this, but I doubt if you could buy one as tall as this one. I don't think the ceanthos will survive being moved.
I mean cut it down completly and move it to where you want it, they grow back and it is easier to get the root to survive if it doesn't have a whole shrub to keep alive.
Hmm, that's all fair food for thought. Ideally I want something in the middle of the bed that has some height, but not too much as we already have some monster shrubs.
There is a hellebore on one side of the potentilla and an azalea the other side, so really something will have to give.
Oddly enough I planted another potentilla on the other side of the bed last year and so far it seems to be spreading out rather than growing upwards, but I read a description that suggests you grow potentillas for ground cover. My only experience with them has been as upright shrubs, so maybe I will have to wait and see (either that or find the label off the new one and Google it!)
I'll have a ponder over the next week or so and then decide what to do. We are in Aberdeenshire so the season proper won't get started for a few weeks yet.
Thanks for all contributions
I have a Potentilla that is planted on top of a stone retaining wall. It has grown up a little, but mostly it has grown down, so that the wall face is covered every summer with a mass of orange flowers, like a giant Helianthemum. It positively glows in the sunlight and looks amazing.
They grow quite easily from cuttings, if you want some insurance.
Last edited: 15 February 2018 22:15:23
Hi Stephanie,
Just wanted to let you know that there are different types of potentillas, so check the labels carefully or as you say google on it. Mine is shrub one with white flowers called "Abbotswood", now about 3-4 fit high and needs pruning this year. Just been out and noticed there are already green shoots on it so I'd better get cracking. It's been the best day yet weather wise down here in the West, but unfortunately I've been out all day!
There are herbaceous Potentillas that tend to have a ground-covering habit with long sprawling flowering shoots that extend out over the flowering season. Mostly their flowers are orange, pink or yellow. Some slightly more clump forming sorts have red flowers like P. atrosanguinea. But I think what people are talking about is the shrub which has been renamed Dasiphora fruticosa. You would probably need to cut it back quite hard so the roots could recover without excessive stress from trying to support a large amount of foliage during the season. Then dig out as good sized a rootball as you can.
Ceanothus have a naturally short lifespan. I wouldn't bother trying to move it, best to get a new one. I believe they do strike well from cuttings, but have never tried it myself.