Transplanting in July? Yep-pers, it is possible! Now, don't uproot a fully-grown annual and expect it to survive - that's almost impossible. But perennials are a different story - one can take a fully grown perennial and transplant it successfully by doing a few steps that makes a huge difference in the process .
I was very unhappy with a some of my day lilies. Both last summer and this summer, they just didn't do well and I was at a loss as to the reason why. I blamed the dry weather last year and some I simply cut back before they bloomed. This year some did well and some not of the same kind - I was soooo puzzled! This week I decided to get rid of and/or move day lilies. In the process, I discovered what the problem was... VOLES!
Yes, voles -the scalawags!
Voles live above ground as well as using old mole trails and eat the root of a plant. When I lifted the lilies, I could see the damage. We have stray cats coming around, especially at night and I'm hoping they'll catch them. One can also set mouse traps for the rascals.
Any-hoo...coming back to the main topic of this post - transplanting in July. The first thing to do is dig a hole large enough for the intended plant.
Fill it with water.
Dig out the intended plant and plop it in the said hole.
Back fill and water it again. The second watering is important because the air pockets need to be filled with dirt. I usually jab my trusty shovel around the plant to make sure the dirt settles in nicely. That's it!
I transplanted these iris with tattered leaves from the greedy grasshoppers...
and these daylilies.
From a distance...
They never missed a beat even in this heat - happy smiles!
Most any of the tough perennials can be moved - hosta, sedems, day lilies, iris (if they look awful, I generally cut back the foliage). August is the best month to transplant peonies.
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In answer to a few questions on the last post on potted perennials, we live in zone 6b and I let the pots where they are with the exception of the one in a pottery planter and place a small lid on the center. I place it back against the house under the overhang. The back of the house faces east. If facing north or west, Id give it a little more protection, though the lavender sits where it is all winter. The only water they get is rain...I want them to stay on the drier side.
...happy gardening!
