How to Transplant a Rose of Sharon Tree

Rose of Sharon flowers are very much like hibiscus.

The Rose of Sharon is also called althea or hardy hibiscus and produces large purple, red, pink or white-colored blooms in the summer and fall. It is a bushy shrub that is often pruned into a single trunk to resemble a tree form. Transplant Rose of Sharon later in the year than you would other shrubs, because the Rose of Sharon often blooms up until the first frost.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Shovel
• Compost

Instructions

1. Water the soil under the Rose of Sharon tree in mid- to late November to prepare it for transplanting. Water well, until it is moist to a 10-inch depth. Not only does this prevent the roots from drying out during transplanting, but it makes digging into the soil easier.

2. Insert a shovel into the soil approximately 1 foot away from the base of the tree and lean back on the shovel. Remove the shovel and repeat the process all the way around the rose of Sharon tree to loosen the soil.

3. Grasp the base of the tree and gently pull up to remove it from the ground.

4. Choose a new planting location that has full to partial sunlight and well-drained soil. Dig a hole that is large enough to accommodate the roots of the plant, but no deeper than the root ball.

5. Add compost to the soil that you removed from the hole so that the resulting mixture is one part compost and one part soil. Mix it up thoroughly with the shovel.

6. Set the roots into the hole and fill the hole around them half way with soil. Pack the soil down firmly with your hands and apply water to remove any air pockets.

7. Fill in the remainder of the hole and water again to further settle the soil around the plant's roots. Fully soak the entire root area.

Tips & Warnings

• Prepare your planting hole first, to speed the transplanting process and to minimize root exposure to air, which will ease transplant shock.

• If you must transplant during a warm part of the year, do it during the evening, so the plant will have all night to recover before contending with sun stress.

References

• The Huntsville Times: Transplant Rose of Sharon in November
• National Gardening Association: Rose of Sharon