Question
I live in Southern Vermont. I have some rose of sharon bushes that i would like to transplant can i transplant now (April)? At the same time i would like to trim both transplanted bushes and non-transplanted bushes is it safte to do it here in late April?

Answer
Hello Natale

It might be possible to transplant your hibiscus (Rose of Sharon) now if the weather has been fairly cool and there are not masses of new growth just yet.  If there is lots of new growth, I'd recommend that you wait until the fall to transplant.

If your plants are deciduous, late winter to early spring is the time to prune.  Again you might get away with doing it now if there are not masses of new growth (if you prune while there is lots of new growth, you run the risk of losing this years flowers).

If the plants are evergreen, pruning should be done from mid to late spring, so now would be OK.

When you transplant any of the shrubs, prune before digging them up.  It reduces the weight, making it easier to move the plant and it also means that the roots (which will suffer some shock) wont have as much work to do to support the topside growth while they are settling into their new home.

Gill