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 .

A horizontal close up of a colorful bird of paradise flower head.

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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 :

A vertical close up of a bird of paradise plant with an orange and purple flower head. Green and white text span the center and bottom of the frame.

What You’ll Learn

Reasons for Transplanting

When to transfer

Prepping the New Site

A horizontal close up photo of the flower head of a bird of paradise in a garden.

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 .

A vertical photo of several bird of paradise flowers in bloom.

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 .

A horizontal photo of a bird of paradise plant in the garden with lush green leaves, but not in bloom.

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 .

A horizontal photo of several Strelitzia plants being watered in the garden.

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 .

A horizontal close up of a Strelitzia flower head.

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 :

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Joe Butler