
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, December 18, 1994                   TAG: 9412200063
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: D-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WHEN TO MOVE AN AZALEA BUSH

Q: I want to move an azalea bush, approximately 3 feet by 3 feet. Could you explain the procedure and time of year to start root-pruning in order to transplant successfully? Also, how can I prevent crabgrass from growing on top of mulch? It grows over mulch that has landscape fabric underneath as well as mulch with no underlayer. J.W., Blacksburg

A: Since the purpose of root pruning before transplanting a plant is to force growth of a mass of new small roots that will be moved in a ball of soil when the plant is dug the next year rather than simply cutting off the ends of long roots when digging an existing plant to move, two things must be considered for your big azalea: (a) root prune your azalea in early spring of '95 which would be just before new roots are normally developed but then wait until early spring of '96 to do the actual transplanting; and (b) the root ball that you will dig in '96 should be at least 8 inches larger than the diameter of root pruning, which for an azalea would be about half again the distance from the trunk to the ends of the widest branches; this means that you'll have a heavy mass of roots and soil to lift in '96.

To do the actual root pruning, go out from the trunk of your azalea the distance mentioned above and dig a fairly deep 4-inch wide trench. Use a digging spade to make this trench and prune long roots in the process; remove the trench soil and replace this with topsoil into which the azalea should grow a dense mass of new fibrous roots which will be part of the transplanted root ball one year later.

Prevent the growth of crabgrass as well as other summer annual weeds that come up in mulch with a late winter application of a premergent weed killer labeled for crabgrass control in ornamentals. Get details on this as well as further information on moving your azalea by calling your local Extension Office, which for Montgomery County can be reached at 382-5790.

Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered each week. Personal replies cannot be given. Please don't send stamps, stamped envelopes, samples, or pictures.

by CNB