The hydrangea is one of the site-loyal plants and should, if possible, be allowed to remain in the place it has once been chosen. However, due to garden design measures, this is not always possible and the hydrangea has to move. If you proceed with a little care, the hydrangea will usually survive the move unscathed.
How to transplant hydrangeas correctly?
Transplanting a hydrangea is ideally done in autumn or early spring. You should dig carefully, protect the roots, choose the new location with the right pH value and enough space, dig a planting hole and water the hydrangea well.
The new location
Choose this carefully so that the plant grows quickly and you don't have to transplant the hydrangea again after a while. Please note the following points:
- Hydrangeas prefer shady locations.
- A place protected from the weather under a light tree is ideal.
- The substrate should have a pH value between 4.5 and 6.5 and be nutrient-rich and permeable.
- Choose a sufficiently large place, as the hydrangea grows broadly when left uncut.
When will we transplant?
So that the hydrangea survives the move in the garden unscathed, you should preferably move it in autumn. The hot summer months, when the hydrangea is in full bloom, are unsuitable.
Alternatively, you can transplant the hydrangea in early spring. The plant should not have sprouted yet. The planting time must also be chosen so that frosty temperatures are no longer expected.
Dig up hydrangea
In order not to damage the sensitive roots of the hydrangea more than necessary, you should be very careful when doing this work. This approach has proven itself:
- Short large hydrangeas by about a third.
- Dig a small trench in a ring around the hydrangea, which approximately corresponds to the old crown diameter.
- Now dig up the hydrangea carefully, cutting through as few roots as possible.
- Keep lifting the plant slightly to loosen it.
- So that a lot of soil remains on the root ball, wrap it in tight burlap or foil.
Insertion in new place
Dig a planting hole at the new location that is large enough to accommodate the entire root ball and the spread roots. In places with heavily compacted soil where waterlogging often occurs, it is recommended to add a drainage layer made of coarse sand or gravel. If the soil condition does not suit the hydrangea's preferences, you should generously dig out the topsoil and replace it with special hydrangea, rhododendron or azalea soil.
Place the hydrangea upright in the planting hole, fill it with soil and water the plant well. This means that the substrate also gets between the fine branches of the roots and these can immediately absorb water again.
Make sure to water adequately after moving. The substrate should always feel slightly moist.
Tip
After digging up, you can easily divide very large hydrangeas. The two to three new plants usually grow quickly.
