Things are beginning to warm up a bit and rainfall has increased--both are a good thing for our gardens. Now is the time to get out and start working with our garden plants while the weather is still cool and most of the plants are still dormant. Here are a few things for you to do during the next couple of weeks.

Transplanting Perennials:
This is the best time of the year to transplant and move any plant growing in your yard. Plants are dormant and by moving them now there will be less transplanting shock to the plant and they will adapt much faster and more easily.

Most perennial plants, including peonies and bleeding hearts, must be moved right now, while the new growth is just an inch or two tall. The ground is wet and that will help to hold the soil around the roots better, preventing the small feeder roots from being damaged during the move. When you replant into the new garden, be sure to set plants at the same depth that they were in the garden originally. Be sure to condition the soil before planting with compost, animal manure, or peat moss. Peonies MUST be planted in a shallow hole; be sure that the buds are no deeper than one knuckle below the soil surface or they will not bloom.

Roses:
If they are not flowering, they must be moved to a sunny location for more blooms and better growth. When you move the plant, look for the graft of the plant that resembles your fist--just below the branches--as the graft must be covered with soil for better winter protection and never allowed to be out of the soil. Look to see if growth is developing below this graft; if so, remove it, as these shoots (called "suckers") will steal energy from your plant that could be used to make flowers--suckers never flower.

Your bush-type roses should be cut back now to 18 to 24 inches tall to help stimulate new growth. Begin by removing any broken or dead branches on the plant before cutting the plant back. Fertilize now and add bark mulch around the plant to control weeds and help retain moisture in the soil during the summer. Spray your roses with natural non-chemical All Season Oil and Copper fungicide to kill overwintering insect eggs and disease spores on your plant.

Broadleaf Evergreens:
If you have azaleas, rhododendrons and holly that are not flowering very well or are getting too big for the present location, now is a wonderful time to move them. These plants are dormant right now and the new growth has not begun to form, so let's tie up the branches of the plants and dig them up while the weather is in our favor. Broadleaf evergreen plants do not have a tap root; they grow with hundreds of spider web-like roots; that will make it easier for you to dig and move the plant. Choose a location with more than half a day of sunlight if you want more flowers. If possible, find a sheltered location out of the wind. All broadleaf evergreens prefer a soil that is moist most of the year and rich in organic matter, so be sure to condition your soil when planting.

Blue or Pink Hydrangeas:
If your plants are not flowering it could be the location because these plants require sun most of day. If you live north of Cape Cod, these plants will also do better if planted near a structure like a building or fence to help block the winter winds. If your plants have become very large, now is also a great time to dig them up and split them in half and make two plants from the one.

The most important thing to remember about the ball-shaped blue or pink hydrangeas is to prune the plants only in the spring, and always after the new growth has begun to develop. The flowers form on the branches made on the plant last year, old wood. Only remove dead or broken branches but wait for the growth to start to form on the plant. One other possibility for no flowers is the type of hydrangea. If you received onet for Easter or Mother's Day in full bloom, you probably have a florist type variety; this type of plant is not winter hardy for the Northeast. It will make foliage but no flowers, because the flower buds die during the winter due to the cold.

Flowering Deciduous Plants:
Forsythia, lilacs, Roses of Sharon and similar plants should also be moved right now. If you can move these plants before the flowers open, the plant will have less stress and the flowering time will be longer. As the flowers fade, the new growth will develop more easily, because the root system is not disturbed as the foliage is developing on the plant.

When plants are moved before the foliage develops, the plant can adjust the amount of foliage made that spring so it can concentrate on the roots first, which will be critical in the summer heat. Eliminate stress for healthier plants when they have to be moved. If you can prune the plant by 25% after the flowering cycle, your plants will also adapt to the new location faster. Lime the lilacs in the spring for more flowers next year.

Non-Flowering Deciduous Plants:
Privet hedges, burning bush, tall hedge, barberry and similar plants will fill in better--growing thicker--and you can control the size of the plant more easily if you prune them at this time of the year. These plants can be cut back as much as 50% while the plant is dormant, so get out the pruners now and shape the future of the plant.

If you're doing a major pruning to these plants, be sure to fertilize them with Plant Tone fertilizer to help produce new dark green foliage after the pruning. These plants can also be moved easily at this time of the year to a new location without the foliage on the plant.

Vines:
Clematis, honeysuckle, grapes and wisteria are such are likely to survive a move without your cutting back the plant. Just pull down the plant from its trellis or arbor, tie it up for easier handling--and you're ready to dig and move it to a new location. Secure the plant on the new trellis or arbor and your vine will have few problems with the move. Keep it wet once the new growth develops on the plant, and your vine will fill in quickly. Use twist ties to hold the vine on its new structure and feed with Plant Tone fertilizer.

Transplanting from the Wild:
Digging wild-growing plants such as white pine, birches, mountain laurel, pussy willow, cedars, and more should be done during April. Several years ago I moved several eight to ten foot tall wild growing birches from the wild during April with great success. Plant them like a new tree from your favorite nursery and be sure to stake them in place so the wind does not move the root ball in the soil. These plants will have a better success rate if dug without foliage on them--while the plant is dormant.

Wild beach roses, bayberry and ferns will move more easily now than later. If you can use the new Thrive with mycorrhizae bacteria, it will help to quickly replace the roots you were not able to dig with the plant when you moved it. This is new technology in gardening and it will help you move your plant around your yard more easily and with better results when you use it this spring.

Anything can be moved now while it is dormant; if you get busy now, your success rate will be better! Once you dig up a plant, if it is too heavy for you to pick up, try rolling the plant onto a plastic tarp, and then pull the tarp across your lawn. Two years ago I moved a eight foot rhododendron with a 3 foot wide soil ball across my lawn with little effort; it will just slide--don't pick it up. Transplanting in April is wise use of your time in the garden.

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