Moving a pyris

[Jan N]

I have a very old and not particularly attractive pyris right at my front, north facing, door.
Personally, I would get rid of it completely, but my husband doesn't want to lose it because it was a gift from friends. Would it survive being moved into a shady spot in the back garden, and what would be the best way to go about this?

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forum @Jan N. Is this the plant you mean - Pieris ? If so, yes it can be moved, but maybe not right now. It will depend on how dry and hot your weather is at the moment. Here in Kent it`s very dry and scorching hot today and I don`t feel like moving let alone the plants

The main requirement for this plant is acid soil. It will like being in dappled shade and can be a good one for woodland areas. It might appreciate a bit of light pruning if it`s an older plant to give it a bit of oomph. You will need to prepare a new planting hole - preferably after a really good downpour of rain, and dig the plant out with as much soil as possible. Add some feed to the newly prepared hole - like fish blood & bone, or slow release fertiliser, and plant it, heeling the ground well to snuggle it in. In a new home, you may get to appreciate it better, it is sadly under rated in my opinion and can look stunning in the right place. Good luck

 

[Jan N]

Many thanks for this very helpful advice Tetters, and apologies for my spelling! I agree that this isn't the time to move it, would it be best to leave it to the autumn? And how far should I cut it back? It has quite good growth on top, but is very woody and bare underneath. If I knew how to turn my photos into a jpeg - I'd send you one! - a skill I really must learn if I'm to take full advantage of this forum! Jan N

 

[Tetters]

How to Prune Pieris | Lily of the Valley Bush

Pieris rarely need any pruning other than dead heading the flowers. Sometimes, they also need to be taken back in size!

www.gardenseeker.co.uk

I thought this link might help. There is another link to click on to advise about re shaping an old shrub.
In any event, maybe it would be better to prune now, and wait for 12 months or so to move it. If it were mine I would give it a hard prune and then wait. ......

 

[Jan N]

Thanks again. I've managed to work out how to attach a photo! So here it is, although it's a bit hard to see how woody it is underneath.

 

[Tetters]

Well done! It is definitely in the wrong place - it`s quite a big shrub. As it`s most important to ''he who must be obeyed'' I reckon maybe he could make the decision about how to go about (( the prune ))

If it were mine I would hard prune now, water like mad, and re plant next spring. It would certainly benefit from a good feed too.

 

[Jan N]

Thanks again!

 

[Tetters]

Happy gardening