Moving a 10 year old Rose of Sharon

It needed room.  I had it in too small location.  This is a durable shrub, blooms well when other plants are wearing out.

I used the same approach as usual, so just posting pic of the shrub out of the ground, pruned and root pruned.  It lost a lot of roots, so I pruned the top back heavily as well.

Hard to see here, but the trunk is about 6 inches in diameter.  I've been pruning to keep it compact for all of it's life.  I suppose if I had not, it would be a tree now.

Not posting as a "how to" so much as a record for future reference.  I want to see if it survives.  I think it will be fine, but next year a but less vigorous due to root pruning.

Even without moving a shrub or tree from one place to another, root pruning is a legitimate technique to reduce vigor.  Not as extreme as this but I think it has adequate root to survive, and there is fall and early Spring to regenerate feeder roots before top growth commences.  The shrub will restrict its top growth based on the available feeder roots, so it be much more likely to survive than if I had done this while leafy.

Moving a big forsythia bush

This bush was in a bad place.  Dry, north side of the house, shaded on 3 sides.  It was droopy and not enough room.  I grew it from a cutting about 7 years ago.  This bush had branches too tall for me to reach the top, so about 9 feet tall.  But all of the leaves were wilted. They have been repeatedly wilter most of the summer. I don't water it enough.

Doesn't look great, but on planting and watering, the few remaining leaves perked up nicely. My theory is that forsythia is so tough, and cuttings root so easily, and it does have a good root mass. So I think it will have a set back, and of course won't bloom next spring. But I think it will establish and be a nice bush by next summer. Pic to add tomorrow after it has the cool night to soak up water. Added the next am:

The forsythia leaves perked up nicely. I think it will do OK.