Reclaiming neglected shrubs

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ccrowley Alfred, ME May 27, 2012

I now have possession of several azaleas and a weigela, all of which were put in the ground in their landscape pots with the intention of putting them in a garden bed. That never happened, and I would like to do something with them now. I know azaleas are tough, and I assume the weigela is also, as it looks pretty good, considering. They are blooming now, except for one azalea that looks like it had some winterkill. They are in sandy fill, surrounded by wild blackberry bushes. (Kinda hate to mess with those, they are covered in flowers!)
So- I thought, after they are done blooming, I could cut them back, and then dig them up, trying to get as much of the roots as I can. They are at the edge of woods, so I may run into tree roots. Then, plant them in a new, mostly shady bed that gets morning sun.
Does this sound right? Most of my gardening has been with perennials; my biggest accomplishment with a shrub is holding some lilac suckers for a year in a joint compound bucket with holes in it- the lilac, a double white that was given to me by my dad, has been with me for almost 30 years and through two moves.:-) All input will be appreciated!

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ccrowley Alfred, ME May 30, 2012

Hello... anybody out there? :-)

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Pfg (Pam) Warren, CT(Zone 5b) May 31, 2012

A couple of years ago I moved a very old azalea shortly after it finished blooming, and it did fine. As I remember I gave it holly tone and pruned it back some, not a lot, mulched well with shredded pine, and made sure it got enough water. Our soil is pretty good, so I didn't amend it at all. I'm not an expert, but I think they are pretty tough.

Good luck!

Pam

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sallyg Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b) Jun 02, 2012

ccrowley- sounds like you are on the right track to me.
I have a Weigela in mostly shade, it does bloom some but I think sun is recommended.
Be sure and keep the azalea watered enough this summer.

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ccrowley Alfred, ME Jun 03, 2012

Ok, maybe I can find a sunnier spot for the weigela... but I live in the woods so, lots of shade.:-) I plan to dig them up first and prune based on how much of the roots I can get. (I know I said the opposite above, but I changed my mind!) They will all need *some* pruning, anyway. My soil is lousy so I will be adding compost. Thanks for the replies!

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