Planting and Transplanting Azaleas

Ugh! Transplanting azaleas: what a thought. A tree died in your yard, and suddenly that fabulous azalea is in direct sunlight. It begins to burn and shrivel. You have to decide to transplant it, or replace it with another azalea that is more sun tolerant. This page discusses transplanting azaleas and also how to plant a new ones.

Transplanting Azaleas
When you make the decision to move an azalea you need to take several things into consideration. First off, let’s talk size. The size of your azalea can have a direct effect on transplanting success. For instance if you have a six foot azalea, the root ball will be so large that you will find it too heavy to move without several people to help. You will also cut off several roots that may be critical to the plant’s survivial. If the plant is in really poor health, you may wish to just consider replacing it with a new plant. If not, continue on.

Here are the basic steps to transplanting your azalea:

Step 1 In the fall, prepare the location you are going to move your plant to. Approximate the size of your hole by looking at the drip line of your plant. Dig down at least 6 inches deeper than the estimated root ball depth.

Step 2 Add organic (mulch)material to the native soil that you have dug up. Do not include fertilizer in the mix. Fertilizer may shock the plant at this point.

Step 3 Using your shovel, cut down into the soil on an angle around the drip line of your azalea. Azaleas have shallow root systems and so you shouldn’t have to dig too far to excavate the roots. Try to disturb the root ball as little as possible inside the dripline.

Step 4 Place the azalea in burlap if you are moving it any great distance. Wrap the root ball carefully and tie it with a string. If you’re moving across the yard, simply place it on a piece of cardboard to easily drag it to its new home. Move the azalea to the new location and lift it into the new hole. Use your prepared soil to adjust the height of the hole so the azalea is slightly above soil level. The soil around your plant will settle over time and you don’t want the roots to pool water. Drainage is vital. Never allow soil to bury any existing stems. Press in soil around the plant.

Step 5 Don’t fertilize. Sometimes owners fertilize after transplanting, but this can stress the azalea. You want to encourage root growth to establish it in it’s new home. Wait to fertilize until after spring bloom has passed, or at least until several months have gone by.

Step 6 Enjoy.
Planting a New Azalea
You’ve decided to plant a new azalea. Maybe it’s that Encore azalea, or perhaps that new yellow deciduous one you’ve heard about. If you are replacing an existing plant that has died, be sure to remove all of the old plant and if needed fill the hole with soil and organic material before beginning.

Step 1 Take a look at your plant’s container. Dig a hole twice the size and depth of the container.

Step 2 Take the plant from it’s pot. If the roots appear to go around and around the soil, you have a root-bound plant. Loosen the plant’s roots up with your hand. If this isn’t possible, just score or slice the root ball with shallow cuts using a garden knife.

Step 3 Place the plant in the hole. Try to adjust the azalea so it will be slightly above soil level when planted. Arrange the roots evenly around the hole, placing in soil as needed for adjustment.

Step 4 Fill in the hole with the remaining dirt and tamp down the soil with your foot.

Step 5 Don’t fertilize until the plant has been established several months.