How to Transplant Lantana

Butterflies and hummingbirds love lantana’s sweet little flowers. People love lantana for its vibrant colors and the butterflies and hummingbirds it attracts into gardens. In warmer climates, zones 8 through 12, lantana will come back strong year after year with very little care. In colder climates, it rarely returns for a second season unless it is grown in pots and brought inside for the winter. Transplanting lantana is a snap. Even a novice gardener can successfully transplant lantana on the first try. Following these few simple guidelines will assure that your lantana will flourish in its new location.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shovel
• Gardening gloves
• Pruning shears
• Sunny, well-drained garden site

1. Plan to transplant lantana in the fall or winter. They will die back during the winter anyway, so you won’t miss the blooms.

2. Select a sunny spot where the soil drains well. lantana thrives on full sun and is drought tolerant.

3. Dig the hole in the place that will become the lantana’s new home before you remove the plant from its current location. Avoid the plant’s prolonged exposure to the atmosphere so the roots won’t dry out before you can plant it again.

4. Prune your lantana back to about 6 inches before digging it up. If you do, next year’s growth will be denser.

5. Water your lantana well immediately after transplanting. This will help it settle into its new home by facilitating rooting.

Tips & Warnings

• While lantana is not a finicky plant, it prefers slightly acid soil with a pH of 6.5 or lower.
• Lantana plants require little fertilization, so unless your soil consists mostly of sand, fertilizer may inhibit flowering.
• Some species of lantana are poisonous—even to the touch—to humans and animals. Consumption can result in serious irritation to the stomach lining, so keep this in mind when selecting a new location for the plant.

[youitimothy]

on 10/10/2009 In you article How to care for Purple Trailing Lantanas you say to fertilize in the spring, summer and sometimes a third feeding? But in the article How to transplant Lantanas you say they require little fertilizer. So, I guess what you're saying is feed them but don't overfeed them?