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When to relocate plants?

steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
in The potting shed
I have two or three plants that, due to my lack of spatial awareness, now need to be moved.

The plants are a weigela (? is that how you spell it)  which I think is a florida variegata and a couple of viburnums (nudum, tinus) - the weigela looks as though it's starting to wake, the tinus is in flower and the nudums still look relatively dormant.

Given that they all seem to have their own cycles is there one time I can move all of them, and if not, what is the best time for each?

Thank you all in advance...


UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
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Posts

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Now is a good time to move any shrubs, between October and March is the usual advice. May be a bit on the late side for the tinus but they are pretty tough. Dig it up leaving as much earth around the roots as you can and plant it into a hole that you have already prepared straight away. Give them a good watering.

    I hope they are young shrubs or you could have a hard job.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    I always move stuff at this time of year and nothing so far has suffered.
  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    Thank you both. I was going to move them all about now, but when the weigela seemed to be changing and the tinus was in winter flower, it made me a bit concerned. All the shrubs were planted out in the past six or seven years. The weigela was an older plant that my wife had in a pot that I then planted out, and the viburnums were new stock bought from 'new'.
    I don't mind killing my newer viburnums (although I don't like killing anything in general!) so much, but I'd hate to lose my wife's weigela.

    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited February 2023
    Evergreen shrubs like your Viburnum tinus are best moved in October or early March while the soil is still warm/warming up.  Deciduous shrubs like your V. nudum and Weigela can be moved any time whilst dormant, between late October and mid-March.  A lot depends on the age of your plant, those over 5 years old will be more difficult to establish, plus your soil condition and climate will make a difference.  I'd probably move them all now if the temperature stays above freezing.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    The soil is clay down here in my part of Eastbourne - we're close to the foot of the South Downs. The climate is relatively warm usually - and recently open to drought during the summer and winter!

    My viburnums aren't all evergreen (am I doing something wrong?) - the tinus is, but the nudum(pink beauty) loses its leaves after they put on a red show in autumn/early winter.

    I'm going to be removing a Berberis Thunbergii (as it's a spikey hazard at the front - I keep it in check, but it's too close to the front pavement), an Himalayan honeysuckle (has staining red berries on it that again is too close to the pavement) and a shrub I haven't identified.




    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    They should all be fine to move now in your location @steveTu.  Yes, some Viburnums are evergreenn, others deciduous.  Those timings are the optimum times, I often move things during the growing season when necessary.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    ....thank you all for your advice.....

    Now all I need to do is find me shovel....or is it a spade...? That diggy thing lurking in the garage somewhere...
    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    I was just thinking about your older Weigela @steveTu.  Having been in a pot first it probably won't have a large root ball but there's a technique advised by the RHS on moving established shrubs.  There's a link here which should help you: Tree and shrubs: moving plants / RHS Gardening
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    edited February 2023
    Water before, move with as much soil as you can contrive, water after. I move stuff when it gets in the way and most things are OK about it. Digging the hole you're moving it to before you dig it up helps - it'll never know what happened  :)
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219

    Thanks for the link.
    What I may then do is move later. The only reason I say that is that this year, Jan and Feb so far have been quite dry.

    The existing rooting may be an issues as I planted the shrubs to close together as well I think, so the roots may be intertwined with 'stuff' I want to leave in place.

    I was going to dig out the old plants first, condition that area with additional compost and feed, then create the new location holes (and water the holes). Then out with the shrubs I want to move straight into  the pre-prepared area - and water in.
    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
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