Calling gardeners - butterfly bush

[Catrin]

I am moving the last weekend of October. My current apartment has an enclosed garden and I planted two butterfly bushes there 6 years ago when I moved in. Now that I am leaving and can't take them with me, I want to give one of them to my trainer and his wife for their house out of appreciation for all of his help.

Who can say if we will have a freeze before then, if I should dig this up before then will I kill it? Would it be safer to just give them a cutting? I have 10 black thumbs so I really need advice here - and I just know that we have some great gardeners here :D

[Roadtrip]

BB goes into shock easily when transplanted. Just be easy with it and get as much of the root system as you can. My mom thought she lost hers after moving it and was going to reclaim the garden space, but the next spring the BB returns and it healthy today. Good luck with your gardening!!

Here's some links that might help you!!

Cutting:
http://www.gardenguides.com/105918-growing-butterfly-bush-cuttings.html

Transplanting:
http://www.gardenguides.com/96930-transplant-butterfly-bush.html

Shannon
(Certified Master Gardener)

[ellerie]

Be sure to tell them to transplant asap and give it plenty of water. (That's been a huge problem in the northeast this year!)

[Cataboo]

Do you know for sure they want them? I just ripped 4 of them out of my garden today (it's been seeding) and hacked my bush back in half. Again. I cut the bush in half 2-3 times a year. It's still 2 stories tall, but I try not to let it take over the entire corner of the yard.

I vaguely hate the bush but it makes it so that I can't see the neighbors when they're out on their deck and it'd take too long to grow another privacy screen.

[Catrin]

Yes, they do. She is going to come over this week and take both of them and seems pretty confident that she can get it through the transplant shock. I love the bushes myself, one of the few things I will miss about this apartment. I had a nice little butterfly/hummingbird garden.

[tulip]

Those bushes are six years old. I'd be inclined to leave them there and buy a new one for your trainer. They grow fast, and it would be a shame to move them if they are happy and healthy in their current location.

[Catrin]

Those bushes are six years old. I'd be inclined to leave them there and buy a new one for your trainer. They grow fast, and it would be a shame to move them if they are happy and healthy in their current location.

The problem is that I am moving this month - and the complex will remove them. So they are going either way and I would prefer to give them a chance to live somewhere else rather than to wind up on the rubbish heap... sad...