Crowding shrubs, need to or severely cut back snowball. I'd like to move them to the front of the house - more room - more sun. They are 6 & 7 feet tall. I pulled back the weed control & rocks to apply bayer feed & protect and I can see significant root size at ground level. Is this even possible? Should I attempt a move? Suggestions? One web article said to dig around the base and leave it there for a month or so - then move. Any advice would be appreciated.
Can you take a broader picture of the area where this viburnum resides? I'm wondering if it's even worth moving and instead just leaving it there. Do you just not like the way it looks there with the other shrubs or are you worried things are getting over crowded? Also, what is the botanical name of your plant. It doesn't look like a traditional 'snowball' viburnum.
If you were to attempt a move, I would prune the plant by about a 1/3 this fall. This will reduce the water needs of the plant when transplanted. Then in the spring before leave out, soak the soil for several hours with a hose open part way. This will make the ball heavier but make removal easier. After that, start digging, trying to get as much of the root mass as possible (not easy). Make sure you already have the destination hole dug so you can drop it in. It's a good idea to roll the shrub onto a tarp so you can easily drag it to its new home without damage to the root ball. Drop it in and back fill.
Sequoiadendron4,
Thank you for your response. Here is a picture of the area with the snowballs on the left and right, with 3 lilacs between... a bit crowded. They are about 7 - 8 feet tall. I took a picture of a recent bloom also. They have recovered from a hard freeze & heavy snow in May, after being badly damaged by an aphid infestation. I recently used the bayer feed and protect product around the base of each shrub.
I appreciate any further advise. Thanks! Moving them will be quite a job, If I do it.
Well as I'm looking at your second pic, I think it looks great as it is. It comes down to a personal tastes and preferences thing. I prefer fuller gardens with shrubs growing into each other, others do not. If you fall onto that side of the line then you might want to move the shrub. The Bayer product definitely will KO the aphids but be careful using that because it is also toxic to bees. The chemical will also be present in any berries the shrub produces and I'm not sure what it does to any birds that may eat them.
