Question
Hi there,

I just bought a house in CT, which has a few older azaleas.  While they are in good health, it is obvious that they have not been taken care of and have just let them grown wild.  I am interested in transplanting the azaleas to a different location.  What is your advice for transplanting azaleas?  When is the best time?  What about the new location?  Should I fertilize and trim them prior or post transplant?  

Your help is appreciated.

Regards,

Gonzalo  

Answer
Gonzalo, best time to transplant shrubs is in the early Autumn.  This prepares them for winter, they wind down, but roots grow all winter long.  By spring, they are settled and up and running.

That said, be VERY VERY CAREFUL with your old azaleas.  They have established root systems that they absolutely depend on.  

Make sure you have all the right equipment to get the whole rootball out of the ground and into a nice big new space with all the right amendments so the roots aren't soggy.  Make sure you know someone who has all the right equipment if you don't.

Don't prune or you will encourage growth and you don't want that now.  

Don't fertilize either.  

Amend the new location with as much bone meal as you can afford; there is no such thing is too much bone meal and you can't burn roots with the stuff, but it will slowly contribute the Phosphorous these roots will need to be healthy and to recover from the transplant shock.

Take a good look and see if your azaleas are suffering from any insect infestations - check for bites out of the leaves, white stripes on leaf undersides, leaf drop, mottled (spider mites) foliage.  Don't use any chemicals; you will upset the soil balance and your poor azalea(s) will have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.

Azaleas need acid soil.  If you want your azalea(s) to be reallllllly excited about their new home, get yourself down to Starbucks every day for the rest of the summer and pick up some of their used coffee grounds.  Mix it into your soil and let it settle in.  This stuff is so amazing I can't believe it's free.  They are not promoting this very well, if at all, and many of the employees have no clue what you would do with these - wash your car?  mix it into dog food?  spray it on your clothes at the laundromat?  Ignore them.  This is the best thing since sliced bread and it is tailor made for YOU and your azalea project.  Get as MUCH as you can.  It is perfect - attracts earthworms, repels slugs, conditions azalea soil.  These are the used grounds.  Not the stuff they sell in bags.  The FREE coffee grounds.

Spring is the time to fertilize for next summer.  You may have blooms in spring 2007, but the big show will come up in 2008.  Seems so far away, don't it?