If you ’re growing bird of paradise plant ( Strelitziaspp . ) there may come a time when you require to move it to a dissimilar location in your landscape painting .
Perhaps you need your plant to make the switch from in - soil to in a container , or vice versa .
Transplanting is more than just digging up a plant and plopping it back down into a different hole . The process requires timing , technique , and TLC to be successful . Not to mention discernment in settle whether or not your plant evenneedsto be transfer to begin with .

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In ourguide to grow bird of paradise , we talk over how to crop these tropical smasher in your landscape . In this article , we ’ll talk about when and how to move your bird of paradise flora .
Here ’s what we ’ll be talk about :

What You’ll Learn
Reasons for Transplanting
When to transfer
Prepping the New Site

Digging Up and Replanting
Aftercare Tips
First of all , why would you want to transfer your bird of heaven ? There are a number of reasons why you may wish to move your flora .

Perhaps you bought a bird of paradise from a local nursery or have one ship to you from an on-line trafficker , transplanting is what you ’ll do to put it in the ground or into a new container .
Or you ’re moving house , and need to pop your in - ground specimen into a pot to take it with you .
When establishedStrelitziaplants become overcrowded and do n’t have enough infinite to arise , their growth may be stunted and they may present signs of stresslike result turn yellow-bellied .

But by transpose them into sites with more elbow joint room , they ’re more probable to reach their expected mature size .
Sometimes , plants just terminate up in a suboptimal spot that does n’t foster healthy emergence . perchance the local microclimate is too red-hot or too cold , or there ’s not enough sunshine . Or perhaps the soil does n’t debilitate well , or it lacks the food to fire healthy growth .
If you catch this early enough and move your specimen to a better localisation , it should begin to grow that much better .

You may also wish to move your plants around strictly for esthetic reasons – botanical garden and other in high spirits - terminal landscape do this sort of thing all the time .
When to Transplant Bird of Paradise
So you want your plants motivate , but before you start excavate you ’ll necessitate to schedule it at the proper time .
These plants do full when you transplant them in late spring or summertime .
AsStrelitziaspecies are sensible to rout disturbances , you want to make the move during the bright , quick conditions of the grow season , which gives them plenteous opportunity to become reestablished before winter rolls around .

Whether your transplantation is going out of doors in the earth in a Modern positioning or into a container , you ’ll involve to prepare ahead of time .
Outdoor specimens will need to be in USDA zone 9 to 12 to hold out twelvemonth - round , unless you are go tooverwinter yourStrelitziaindoors .
For birds of heaven grow indoors , daytime temperature of 70 to 75 ° F and nighttime temperatures of 50 to 55 ° degree Fahrenheit are best . Set up humidifiers , trays of water , and mathematical group plant together to boost the ambient humidness up to 60 per centum if possible , and you ’re golden .
In - ground specimens will necessitate organically - rich , well - drain grime with a loamy grain and a pH of 5.5 to 7.5 .
Asoil grain testwill recount you if the grease needs any amendment to help with drain or the addition of constitutive subject . Loam or sandy loam is effective , as it hit a nice equaliser between draining extra water and retaining nutrient .
constitutional matter can be increase by working a reference of humus into the ground , such as compost or well - rot manure . you’re able to do this by creating a layer on top of the ground a couple column inch loggerheaded , then working it in with a hoe or tiller .
As for the pH , some pH stripswill let you know if your soil pH is outdoors of the recommended range .
Higher pH level can be made more acidic with applications of elemental sulfur or aluminum sulfate while low pH degree can be sweetened with limestone , bake soda , or eveneggshells .
A full sun to partial spook location is best , so plan your planting sites consequently – do n’t put them under a shade tree , for example . Indoor plants should go near shiny , sunny window .
If you are digging up your plant life and set it in a container , you ’ll necessitate to select a vessel that allow at least an inch or two of place between the edges of the root mass and the sides of the peck . You must check that that the container has one or more drainage holes in the bottom .
Potted plants will necessitate a soilless medium that retains moisture , yet allows the extra body of water to drain by . A one-half and half mixture of peat and perlite works well , but plenty of commercial products get the job done .
The ideal pot for a bird of paradise is lasting , has drainage holes at the bottom , and is slenderly larger than the ascendant system of your transplantation . If the diameter of your container is n’t at least an column inch or two wider than the root , it ’s too close of a fit .
If you have n’t already prepped the new planting land site , verify you do that before you start cut into .
You ’ll also need to fix your option of digging tool . For additional credit , sterilise it with isopropyl intoxicant can keep the bed cover of pathogens to a minimum .
Within the 24 60 minutes prior to transplantation , water your to - be - transplanted specimens profoundly . This loosens up the soil making it easier to dig , and assure the roots are well - hydrated ahead of their move .
Use a shovel or spade to dig a circle around your transplants , as deep as it takes to get under the root organisation . This ’ll credibly be about a foot mysterious and extensive , though this will depend entirely on the size of the works .
A sharpened nigra come in ready to hand here for severing untouchable ascendent from the surrounding soil .
Ideally , you should be able-bodied to scrunch up down , get your finger or a shovel under the root ball , and cart the plant outta there , don you ’re not displace one of the largertree - corresponding species .
If they ’re too handsome for you to move by yourself , then those are best moved by the professional with their openhanded ol’ digging machine and liability insurances .
Containerized plantings may not need much excavation . Simply breaking up the media with a soil tongue or your hands may be all that ’s expect to remove it from its container .
Once the plant is remove from the soil or its container , you candivide your bird of paradiseif necessary before replanting .
Now , it ’s metre to dig new holes , or prepare your containers if you ’re potting up . Dig as deep as you need so that the sizing of the kettle of fish is mysterious enough to accommodate the intact antecedent system , and an inch or two wider .
merge somecompostor well - rotted manure into the ground you remove from the hole if you did n’t remedy it ahead of time .
Then , cautiously move your transplanting into their new homes . Backfill the holes and deep water your specimens . If you have superfluous hollow - out soil , you may use it to fill in the parts of your garden where your birds of paradiseusedto be .
After transplanting , you ’ll desire to keep the soil palisade their roots evenly moist for at least three calendar month , after which level your plants should become established and start growing young roots and inject tissue paper .
Once they are demonstrate you may hold off on lacrimation until the top three inches of soil dry out .
If you transplanted in summertime rather than spring , then keep an eye that your transplants do n’t dry out – this can happen quickly in the high temperature of summer .
Once the plants are found you may fertilise in - ground specimens with organic topic such as compost or well - rot manure every three calendar month or so .
Container - grown plant will need more frequent fertilizing , but be sure to wait until they are the right way established and showing signs of Modern ontogeny before feeding .
teach more about how to fertilizeStrelitziain our template .
Can’t Transplant? Not Anymore
Unless you ’re produce a behemoth tree diagram - like species , transplant yourStrelitziaplants is a pretty elementary undertaking .
Whether you ’re labour it up to bring indoors for the winter or go house , you’re able to quite easily dig up your specimens and replant them in a different locating – or in a container .
And formore information about growing birds of paradisein your landscape painting , have a read of these guides next :
© necessitate the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock . With extra writing and redaction by Clare Groom .
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Joe Butler