When To Move My Loropetalum Shrubs?

Q: We have eight loropetalum shrubs in front of our house. We want to move them to another spot. Is now a bad time to do it, even when it’s cold? 

A: Loropetalum is reasonably tolerant of moving as long as you bring lots of roots along with the shrub. To that end, when a few warm days are forecast, liberally soak the ground around the shrubbery. Use a spading fork or pitchfork to loosen the soil and then use your hands to identify the large roots. Gently pull the roots free. When most of them are loosened from the soil the whole shrub can be pulled up. A few roots may need to be clipped in the process. Spray the roots with water to keep them wet and move them to their new spot, which you have already prepared for their installation. You can thin some limbs from the shrub before moving it but it’s best to leave as many branch tips intact as you can.