Transplanting a Rhody

[Ax-man]

Got a few questions about roddodendrons, probaly isn't spelled right, shows how much I know about them.

We are moving soon, Mrs Ax would like to take the rhody she dragged home from Wally world about ten years ago to the new place we are moving to. I thought the poor plant would never make it due to our cold winters, soil not acid enough, but it has done great, gets a little bigger every year, more blossoms, it has proved to be hardy despite all I said about it not growing good in Illinois.

How hard is a rhody to transplant especially this time of year or a little later, can it be done ??? Is the root system fiberous or course??I don't have a clue when it comes to broadleaf evergreens.

We have a north side location to transplant onto to protect the rhody, the topsoil at the new location is scanty, very sandy and droughty not much organic matter, compared to the plentiful loamy fertile black dirt we have now, the subsoil at the new location is very poor almost pure coarse sand and gravel with rocks, good drainage, maybe too much. would a rhody survive in a soil like this. Again, I don't have a clue rhody's are very rare in our area, I have nil experience with these plants.

Should we take a chance on moving it or leave it behind for the next people??

 

[rbtree]

They transplant easily and should take well too. fibrous root system....suggest amending the planting hole with dirt from its old home..

Of course this isnt the best time, but it might do well if you keep it well watered till fall.

 

[Ax-man]

Thanks Rb, It is in full bloom right now, but we don't need to move for another few weeks. Mrs. Ax will be glad to hear this, she really likes this rhody and would hate to leave it behind.

I was going to take a pic of it, I have no idea what variety it is, got home to late for pics. Maybe tommorow

Larry

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

This is good timing - I was going to ask the same thing. I have one in a bad location. Beautiful bush, though. Just too close to the porch. As for hardiness, mine does fine in sub-freezing temps, ice storms, whatever. Just looks wilted. As soon as the temp goes up, it's back to normal.


Mine is a good 8 or 9 feet tall, and probably 6 foot in diameter. How big is the root ball likely to be? The bad thing is that it's right next to a lilac, and I"m sure the roots are intertwined. Don't want to lose the lilac.

Can a rhododendron grow from cuttings? Perhaps I can 'transplant' it piece by piece...

 

[Sprig]

Some years back there were some huge rhodos growing not far from me moms house that were taken and transplanted onto the U of Victoria's property, they were over 50yrs old and averaged 25-30ft high and the move as far as I know was successful. From what I understand of them they have many surface roots, many small philo roots (? terms) just under the surface, usually spreading not much further than the canopy diam. These should be disturbed as little as possible and kept damp for a while. I would imagine that keeping your root-ball damp (but not sopping) and transporting as gently as possible with as much local soil as practical (as was mentioned above) seems to make a lot of sense. I would imagine that doing this while dormant would be the way to go but I have done smaller trees in the summer, in small moves (a matter of a few feet over type thing) and other than a short shock period they turned out fine. I am not an arborist by any means but I love rhodos, especially the deep puple ones, they are beautiful. About all I really know about them is that you should 'head' the flowers as they die off, I guess this puts more energy into the existing growth. And, they need aprox. 1" of water per day from the diam of the canopy down in the summer. Hope you are successful in your transplant and look forward to some professional info on this as I would truly like to plant some more of them myself. In thinking on the move I feel that some good burlap sacking would be the right thing to move them (it) in. But like I said, I am a total novice in regards to this.

Serge

 

[Ax-man]

I forgot a couple questions,

Is an anti-transpirant like Wilt-pruf save to use??? I am assuming so because all the cold weahther is behind us. Do deer browse on rhody's, even though it will be close to the house deer get brave when food gets short in winter.

I measured our rhody, height is about 3 ft. width 3 ft., stem caliper at ground level is 1.5 in., the main stem becomes a co-dom 3in. above ground level. I moved the stem back and forth a little and it feels very well rooted into the ground.

I am going to try to get a 16 to 18 in dia rootball on this one, which would be about right if it were a regular shade tree. Might be a little big , but if they shallow, fiberours rooted plants it would be better for the rhody, especially this time of year.

Blue Ridge, 24" dia would be minumum on yours, 30 in. dia would be better, when they get that big you need some lifting equipment. Muscle power will only get you so far. If I am off on this, someone please correct me.

Here is a pic, I don't know if this a real good specimen or not or what variety. I am not much on yard work as you can see, kind of like the old adage of the shoemaker and his kids or the carpenter whose house is falling down around him. I am of the last to get started mowing the stupid grass, I can never get anything done around the outside of the house till well after Memorial Day into mid June, some times July, to busy doing other people's trees to mess with my own trees.

 

[Adkpk]

Ax-mam, that is an English Roseum. It is one of the hardiest 'Rododrendrons' I know of.
Yes, Rhodi's will root from clippings. Dip the freshly snipped sprig into some root tone and place it a pot with half potting soil and half peat moss. Keep it wet for few weeks. Pull it out and check for a little root. That root should get it started. Do it with a dozen clippings. And you should have success with a few, or all if you're a real green thumb.
Transplanting Rhodi's can be done after they are finished flowering. Just remember to keep it wet, for those dry summer months can snatch it's life away.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Blue Ridge, 24" dia would be minumum on yours, 30 in. dia would be better, when they get that big you need some lifting equipment. Muscle power will only get you so far.

That would whack my lilac bush for sure. Guess I'll "transplant" mine one piece at at time! Thanks for the info on that, Adprk.

I am not much on yard work as you can see, kind of like the old adage of the shoemaker and his kids or the carpenter whose house is falling down around him. I am of the last to get started mowing the stupid grass, I can never get anything done around the outside of the house till well after Memorial Day into mid June, some times July, to busy doing other people's trees to mess with my own trees.

A mechanic friend of mine once warned my to never buy a car from a mechanic.