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OMAHA — Now that September and its cooler temperatures have arrived, it’s the perfect time to think about moving things around in your garden.

It may be that a flower or shrub is too big for where it’s planted or it’s not getting enough sun or shade. Maybe you’ve taken advantage of late-summer sales or you’ve been gifted a plant or two by a fellow gardener.

Plants that bloom earlier in the spring and summer can be transplanted now. Fall bloomers should wait until spring.

John Fech of Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy Counties said the middle of September to early October is the best time for a move. That’s when temperatures are routinely in the 70s or low 80s.

But you can begin the advance work now.

It starts with choosing a new location and making sure that it works for your plant’s needs, whether that be sun or shade. Keep an eye on the location for a few days to determine if it meets your plant’s requirements.

“The next thing is loosening the soil where it’s going to be moved into,” Fech said. “If it’s a lot of clay, and you want to move a transplant like a perennial, you can modify most of its root zone.”

Loosen soil with a four-pronged pitchfork and work in some compost, making a hole about the same depth as and twice as wide as the plant’s root ball. Work in about an inch of mushroom, cotton bur, worm castings or Oma-gro compost.

That’s not always feasible with a tree or larger shrub, so make a hole that fits the rootball.

When you take the plant out of its original home for the move, check the leaves and roots for disease or damage.

“Cut off anything that is soft, brown or has insect tunnels in it,” Fech said.

Some plants that are super tough such as iris, hostas and rudbeckias, can be successfully moved almost any time of the year, Fech said.

Otherwise, you want to move plants in the opposite season from when they are blooming. For example, a lily of the valley blooms in the spring so it’s a good candidate to move in the fall.

“You don’t want to move a plant like plumbago or autumn joy sedum that bloom in fall because so much energy is being expended then,” Fech said. “Mums can wait until spring. Anything that is spring and summer blooming are good candidates for fall.”

Perennials such as plumbago, boltonia, sedum, asters and turtleheads should be divided in the spring.

Fech said every gardener should have a small pile of compost and wood chips hidden somewhere in their garden to stash a plant until it’s ready to go to its new home. The north side of the house where the sun isn’t so hot is usually best. That works to store anything in a pot, too.

“Say someone gives you a plant or you bought something in the spring and you haven’t planted it yet. If it’s hot, like it’s 90 degrees, it would be better to wait until the heat of summer is off. That’s a good temporary location for it,” Fech said.

This double daylily is one of Jackie Shores’ favorites.

This bloom is about the size of a dinner plate. "It is huge," Jackie says.

This lilly blooms in mid-summer.

An Asiatic lily. "I think I got it in a miscellaneous bulb package from Breck's," Jackie said.

It's the first time this lily has bloomed for Jackie.

A Prairie Blue Eyes that Jackie got that from her neighbor.

Her daughter Reagan's favorite lily. 

A purple Stella daylily. It has tiny blooms. 

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Plants that bloom earlier in the spring and summer can be transplanted now. Fall bloomers should wait until spring.

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