Transplanting Azalea: Here’s How To Choose A Good Location To Lift And Re-Plant
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
Azalea can be very useful shrubs for many gardens, with beautiful foliage and stunning blooms in a wide range of hues – but when one of these shrubs is located in the wrong place, a range of issues can crop up.
Fortunately, if you wish to move an Azalea, either for practical reasons or because it is not ideally situated and is failing to thrive, it is fairly easy to do so successfully.
“When a plant is not thriving, I always err on the side of moving it rather than trying to coax it into growing more happily in its current position,” Colin Skelly, Master Horticulturist, explains.
“When a plant gets what it needs, it can respond very quickly to its new, more favourable position.”
To transplant Azaleas, you simply need to:
- Prepare a new growing location.
- Gently lift the plant from its existing position.
- Replant the Azalea in its new location, ensuring it is at the same depth in the soil as it was in its previous spot.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Equipment Required | Spade, new container and growing medium. |
| Preferred Aspect | Full sun or partial shade, sheltered. |
When To Transplant
Though in theory, you can move an existing Azalea at any time, it is best to do so either in the spring or in the autumn, when the weather is neither too hot nor too dry.
Moving at these times can help to reduce transplantation shock and increase the chances of an Azalea settling in successfully in its new location.
1) Choose Where To Grow
Choosing the perfect spot to move an Azalea to will also increase the chances of transplantation success.
Azaleas need a spot either in full sun or in partial shade.
For many Azaleas, a location in light, dappled shade can be ideal.
It is best to choose a spot where your Azalea will be somewhat sheltered and protected from cold, drying winds.
Perhaps the most important thing, however, when choosing the ideal spot for an Azalea is to think about the soil.
Azaleas need a moist yet free draining medium that is relatively fertile and most will require acidic soil pH.
2) Lift Your Azalea
Once you have decided where you will move your Azalea to and have prepared the growing area to which you will transplant it, it is time to lift the existing plant.
Simply use a spade to gently lift the plant from the soil, taking care not to damage the root system, and keeping the rootball as intact as possible.
3) Replant In The New Location
Then simply move the plant to its new location and replace it in the soil as quickly as you can to prevent it from drying out, and to minimise the shock to the shrub.
Dig the planting hole, large enough to accommodate the existing root system.
Gently lower the plant into the hole, then firm back the soil gently around the roots.
Water in well, then, to increase the chances of the plant establishing, mulch around the plant with lots of organic matter.
