Hydrangeas – Moving Time

Q: When is the best time to move established hydrangeas? I have two that are being smothered by other larger hydrangeas.

A: I think any time between December and mid-March is good for moving hydrangeas. If the soil is soft, you can almost pull them out of the ground bare-root. If the plants are old and large, shorten most limbs by half before you start digging. By doing so you won’t have many flowers this summer but the shrub won’t have so much water stress in July due to the lost roots. If the hydrangeas are only a couple of feet tall and wide, you can move them without pruning. In both cases, look for droopy hydrangea leaves on mid-summer mornings; it’s a signal that the plant needs water before the hot sun hits it.