With its bright flowers, the butterfly lilac is one of the most popular plants that can be seen in more and more home gardens. Okay, when to transplant butterfly lilac? Which location is suitable for this and what should you pay attention to when caring for it?
The butterfly enchants us with its beguiling scent and is simply a must for most hobby gardeners. However, the beautiful shrub not only delights us with its flowers, but also with its many uses and its durability in the garden. Because of its expansive growth, it is sometimes necessary to transplant the butterfly lilac.
The butterfly lilac has extensive growth and for this very reason it often makes sense to find a new location for the shrub. But when should you transplant a butterfly lilac? It would be best if you chose a leaf-free time for this. Since the soil is still warmed by the sun in October and November, these months are the optimal time to transplant butterfly lilac.
Alternatively, once the ground has thawed deeply and completely, you could also transplant the butterfly lilac in spring. If you decide on this option, remember that you should overwinter the plant in its current location. Overwintering ensures that the shrub is not damaged by frost damage.
Transplanting butterfly lilac: How to do it right
You already know when you should transplant butterfly lilac. But to ensure that everything is done without putting a lot of stress on the plant, we will explain to you below how to do it correctly.
- Since a lot of root volume is lost when transplanting the butterfly lilac, you should cut the bush back by at least a third beforehand. This step ensures that the balance between above-ground and below-ground parts of the plant is maintained.
- First prepare a planting pit at the new location and make sure that it is 1.5 times the diameter of the root mass.
- Tie the butterfly lilac into a loose bunch with a rope and cut off the root ball with a sharp spade.
- Carefully lift the root ball with the digging fork and slowly lift it out of the ground. It is particularly important that you never pull on the plant, otherwise you could damage the roots.
- To stimulate subsequent growth, it is recommended to leave as much soil as possible on the root ball.
- Next, fill the planting hole up to the edge with fresh water and wait until it has completely seeped away.
- Then quickly transport the butterfly lilac to the new location and transplant it as deeply as before.
- Finally, muddy up the soil and loosen the rope from the branches.
- And voilà – it’s that easy to transplant butterfly lilac.
Where to transplant butterfly lilac?
It's not just important to know when to transplant butterfly lilac - the location is also crucial for healthy growth. In order for the flowering shrub to enchant us with its scent and wonderful flowers, there are a few basic conditions that you should meet.
The butterfly lilac isa kind of buddleiaand cannot grow in a shady place. The perfect location to transplant butterfly lilac should be warm, protected from the wind and sunny to partially shaded. A south-facing terrace or a sunny bed are also suitable as a location for transplanting. Also note that the shrub prefers soil with a slightly acidic, alkaline or neutral pH.
Also interesting:Cutting butterfly lilac in spring with instructions
Proper care after moving the plant
Have you transplanted your butterfly lilac in the right location? Great! However, your work doesn't end here. In order for the shrub to reach its full potential, there are a few things you should keep in mind regarding care after transplanting.
- To avoid burn marks and holes on the leaves, never water the butterfly lilac from above, but rather apply the water directly to the root disc.
- It is also important that you water the shrub regularly afterwards, but without causing waterlogging.
- If you transplant the butterfly lilac in autumn, place a thick layer of mulch made of brushwood and leaves over the root disk as frost protection.
- Enrich the hole with horn shavings and compost beforehand to support rooting in the new place.
