How to transplant a hydrangea to a new place in the summer

Hydrangea is one of the most attractive perennials with abundant flowering. This shrub quite painfully tolerates any transplant, but sometimes it still becomes necessary to transfer it to another place. The most suitable time for this is autumn and spring, as a last resort, you can transplant the hydrangea in the summer, but you can face big problems.

Is it possible to transplant hydrangea in the summer

Hydrangeas are transplanted to a new place during the dormant period, in early spring, before the beginning of the growing season, and in autumn. The summer months, especially July and August, are a period of intense shoot growth and abundant flowering, at which time metabolic processes occur in the plant especially quickly. Any intervention during this period can cause severe stress in the bush, the hydrangea will simply drop flowers, and in some cases it may die. Therefore, a transplant in the summer is carried out only in case of emergency, when the plant is threatened with death (for example, a flower interferes with construction on the site).

Summer transplant is most often a forced measure.

Important! If there is an opportunity to postpone the hydrangea transplant until autumn or until next spring, then you should definitely take advantage of this.

Why do I need to transplant hydrangeas in the summer to another place

Most often, a hydrangea may need a transplant in the summer in case of emergency. Unfortunately, life situations often develop in such a way that some work has to be postponed to the wrong time. A transplant in the summer may be required for these flowers in the following cases:

  1. It is urgent to free up space in the garden (changing the layout, erecting new buildings, laying communications, storing materials, etc.).
  2. The plant turned out to be in the wrong place due to some natural reasons or weather disasters (for example, the site was flooded, the landscape changed, etc.).
  3. The owner sells the garden or house and does not want to leave the flower to the new owners.
  4. There is a serious threat of hydrangea disease from other shrubs growing in the immediate vicinity.

When to transplant hydrangea in summer

Transplanting hydrangeas any month in the summer is a very big risk. If possible, it is better to wait until the bushes have completely faded. Usually, the flowering of most varieties of this plant ends by the end of August, therefore, it is better to transplant at the same time.

The transplant is best done after flowering.

In emergencies, flowering shrubs are also transplanted. However, the chances of a successful outcome of such an operation are much less.

How to transplant a hydrangea to a new place in the summer

Young hydrangea bushes up to 5 years old tolerate transplantation quite well. The older the bush, the more difficult it will be for him to adapt to a new place.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

For the normal growth of hydrangeas, the site for planting them must have the following characteristics:

  1. Illumination. Hydrangeas love an abundance of light, but the direct rays of the sun can burn them. The light should be soft, diffused. These shrubs grow well in partial shade, but in this case the number of inflorescences on them decreases.Plants growing in the shade may not bloom at all.
  2. The soil. The soil at the planting site should be loose, well-drained, moderately moist. Hydrangea does not tolerate stagnant water, therefore, it cannot be planted in wetlands and where water accumulates after rain. Groundwater should approach the surface no closer than 1 m. It is important that the soil has an acidic reaction; on sandy and carbonate lands, the shrub will be very sore. The optimum pH value of the soil under the hydrangeas is from 4 to 5.5.
  3. Air temperature. Many species of these plants do not tolerate frost well, especially its most decorative, large-leaved varieties. The landing site must be protected from the cold north wind.

Preparing hydrangeas for transplanting in summer

Preparatory activities for transplanting hydrangeas take quite a lot of time and require significant effort. In the summer, the transplant is carried out only with a clod of earth on the roots, and the larger it is, the more chances of a favorable outcome. It is necessary to dig the planting holes in advance. Their size should be several times larger than the size of the earthen coma on the shrub that is to be transplanted.

The soil must be loose and well-drained.

To fill the holes after transplanting, a mixture of raised land and peat is harvested. At the bottom of the pit, a drainage layer of fragments of brick, expanded clay or crushed stone is necessarily poured.

Hydrangea transplant rules in summer

It is important to understand that in the summer, during the transplantation, the root system of the hydrangea bush will be damaged in one way or another. This will cause a disruption in the nutrition of the aerial part of the flower, the roots of the plant simply cannot cope with such a load. To reduce it, all peduncles and buds must be cut off, since the plant will still throw them off after planting. Shoots also need to be cut to half their length.

Before transplanting, cut off all inflorescences.

In summer, hydrangeas are transplanted on a cloudy day. The root zone is spilled with water in advance, and then the bush is dug from all sides approximately along the projection of the crown, trying to injure the roots as little as possible and keep a lump of earth on them. The plant dug out of the ground is transported to the planting site on a trolley or manually carried on a piece of tarpaulin. You need to plant it immediately. The bush is placed in a planting hole, adding a little soil, if necessary, so that the root collar of the plant remains flush with the soil surface.

The remaining voids are covered with soil. Having filled the planting hole completely, they intensively water the hydrangea bush, and then mulch the soil surface around the bush with the bark of coniferous trees or dry pine or spruce needles. In addition to retaining moisture in the soil, mulching with such materials contributes to the acidification of the soil.

Important! After the stress of transplanting in the summer, hydrangeas may not bloom for several seasons.

Potted species tolerate transplanting much better in summer.

Hydrangeas grown as potted plants are less likely to get into trouble when they need to be transplanted in the summer. Unlike garden plants, they tolerate this procedure much easier. However, here, too, it is necessary to be careful and be sure to keep a whole earthy clod on the roots. If the root system was not damaged when removed from the container, then the result is likely to be positive. Despite this, the transshipment of potted plants is recommended in the spring, in April.

How to feed hydrangea in summer after transplant

After the summer transplant, hydrangeas do not need to be fed. The growth and flowering of the shrub should not be provoked, because its root system is greatly weakened. A small amount of potash and phosphorus mineral fertilizers can be added to the composition of the nutrient soil, with which the root system of the hydrangea bush is poured during transplantation. However, this should only be done if the soil is initially poor.It should be remembered that the use of mineral fertilizers during transplanting can lead to burns of its roots, many of which will inevitably be damaged during transplantation. Therefore, it is better to wait for the result, make sure that the transplant was successful, and in the fall, feed the bushes with rotted manure or humus.

Care after landing

After transplantation, hydrangea bushes need rest and moderate watering. You need to be guided in this matter by the weather and with an insufficient amount of atmospheric moisture, periodically moisten the soil with settled rain water. In the heat, about once a week, it is necessary to sprinkle the plants in the evening. You should also cover the transplanted bushes from direct sunlight, shading them with special screens made of paper or fabric.

Transplanted hydrangeas need regular watering

Important! It is not recommended to use water from artesian wells or water mains for irrigation or sprinkling. Often, it has excessive rigidity; when it enters the soil, it greatly reduces its acidity, which is unacceptable for hydrangeas.

Conclusion

It is possible to transplant a hydrangea in the summer, however, such a procedure can be carried out at this time only in exceptional cases. The shrub will take a long time to recover, while flowering in the next season should not be expected from it. In some cases, an unfavorable outcome is also possible, the hydrangea may die. Therefore, it is so important initially to choose the right place for landing, and if you carry out a transplant to a new place, then only at the optimal time for this.

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