MIgardenZ6
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2016 7:44 pm
Location: Southern Michigan

Rose of Sharon with transplant shock. Should I even bother?

I have a bunch of Rose of Sharon trees with transplant shock (to say the least). They were ripped out of the ground with a truck because I was planning on throwing them out. A day or 2 after, I decided to line my driveway with them instead. I didn't keep the roots wet or shaded so they sat outside exposed to the sun for a day or 2. They all have 1-2 ft of roots left. I planted them and watered them well, they've been planted for 2 days now. They are all mature, between 4-9 ft and haven't been pruned in at least 2 years but maybe never. I bought the house they are at 2 years ago and haven't done anything with them and it looks like the people before me never pruned them either. It's June and there are leaves (wilted leaves now) but no flowers yet, not the best time to transplant, I know. They were ripped out on on June 5th and planted on June 6th and 7th.

So my questions are:

1) Is there ANY hope for them?

2) When should I prune them and how much should I cut them back?

3) Should I fertilize or dilute a rooting hormone in the water I use to water them? Or something?

4) ANY other advice?

THANK YOU!!

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

If they were ripped out and left out drying in the sun, I would think they would be in shock. All I would do is cut them down since you don't have enough roots to support a large drying top. Keep them moist but do not overwater. In shock you don't want to rot the roots, just keep them moist.

MIgardenZ6
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2016 7:44 pm
Location: Southern Michigan

Perfect. Thank you!

joezapp
Full Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 11:11 am

I'm familiar with the Rose of Sharon. They are abundant on my property. For such a hearty plant that can handle a lot of rain as well as droughts, it is surprising to me that they don't do very well after transplanting. I recommend twice a day watering for 1 week. Then daily watering in the morning for a week. Then every other morning through August , skipping days that are cool or cloudy. In September, prune off anything that has no leaf growth. You may find that the plant will be practically starting over, but they grow fast. Good luck.

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Yes, they are very tough plants. Don't give up on them! As noted, do prune them back, so the damaged roots don't have as much foliage to support.



Return to “Trees, Shrubs, and Hedges”