Relocating fairly 'new' plants will I kill them??

Hi all....the new gardener here is going to attempt to plant bulbs for the first time and because of where I want to put them, it will mean relocating plants that just went into the ground at the beginning of the summer. I'm not sure how long it takes for plants to become 'established', but if I move them now, am I likely to kill them? I'm only planning on moving them by a few feet and will replant them immediately. Any comments/advice would be appreciated!

Thanks all!
Sharron

What kind of plants are they? I move things all the time, and most of them make it just fine, but some are tougher than others.

i also move plants all the time-the key is water and lots of it till they take off again! I moved a rose in the middle of summer and in the mid day sun-I thought i killed it but i kept watering and watering it and now its growing fine!!!

good luck and happy planting!
dori

This is a good question. I'm new to gardening, and have changed my mind about where I want my hostas that I planted in May. I guess it'll be ok to move them?

It certainly does not hurt to give them a shot of vitamin B. It reduces the shock. There are different names in the garden stores, "Up-Start" etc. Jeanette

There are probably several factors that determine success or failure in moving plants that are not dormant:

1) size of rootball - bigger is usually better because the roots aren't "shocked" as much when more dirt goes with the plant to its new home.

2) length of time the plant is out of the ground. Best to have your new planting site ready and waiting so when you pop 'em out of the ground, they go right into their new home

3) amount of top growth vs. roots. I transplanted a leafed-out oakleaf hydrangea a couple years ago. The huge leaves were allowing a lot of transpiration (evaporation) from the plant's vascular system. When I realized what was happening, I plucked off any wilted leaf and about 50% of the total leaves from the plant. It looked ugly as homemade sin for a couple months, but by fall, it didn't look too bad and the next spring, you couldn't tell it had been transplanted. If there's a lot of leaf surface compared to the roots (such as with hostas), give it a haircut so it has a fighting chance.

4) water, water, water. Assuming the plant's topgrowth isn't going to be its undoing, give the transplant a good watering when you move it, and regular water for several weeks afterwards. Don't drown it, but definitely make sure it doesn't get too dried out.

5) shade and/or wind protection. If its new home is exposed to a lot of wind or sun figure out a way to give it some protection - a few stakes and a bit of shadecloth or even an old sheet will do.

Terry- My friend just this last hour explained #3 to me! I never understood why I had to whack things to move them and lost quite a few plants that way this summer trying to escape rampant nut grass.

Terry: Thanks for the info!

Sharron