My 71yo mother lives in Bedford County, PA, hardiness zone 6b. She has a Rose of Sharon bush that was given to her when her house burned down three years ago. We had no idea how big it would get, and "accidentally" planted it too close to the trailer she is now living in.
We have two questions about the bush. Number one, can we safely move the bush a couple of feet from where it is now? How and when would be the best time? If it helps, it's about 5-6 feet tall. It's important that we don't hurt the bush; my mother has gone through a lot these last couple of years. If there's no way to be certain the move wouldn't kill the bush, we'd rather leave it where it is.
The second question involves the seed pods. Can we grow more Rose of Sharon bushes with the seeds, and how should we go about doing that? I brought a couple of pods home with me (I live 80+ miles away). Can I start them over the winter, to be planted for Mom in the spring?
You can probably tell that we (I!) know very little about this subject. The first year after Mom's fire, I planted seven trees that were subsequently eaten to the ground by all the deer! They seem to ignore the Rose of Sharon bush, and Mom enjoys it, so...
Thanks for your time, and for sharing your expertise on this web site. Take care!
Sincerely,
Linda
Answer Linda,
You should be able to this shrub with little chance of harming it. Wait until it has dropped its foliage. Prune back to 3' and make sure you try to dig 2'around and move.
You could try the seed pods as this shrub can be weedy. Also when you prune the plant back take cuttings (at least 20 of these) about 12" long from the ends of branches, dust with rooting hormone from a garden center, and stick about 6" into well worked, moist soil in a place protected from winter winds. You probably should water these cuttings whenever the gorund is not frozen.
There is a good chance at least one of these cuttings will root. Now here is the cool part. While a seedling may grow, it is not the same as Mom's. Because of pollination is sexual reproduction there is a mixing a of genes. If you get one of the cuttings to grow, you will have Mom's plant because the cutting will be a clone, in effect the same plant.
