How to Remove Rose of Sharon

Overview

While the rose of Sharon can be a desired blooming plant for many gardeners, its vigorous growth can be a disturbance to others. With dropped seeds in the fall, some gardeners get tired of pulling, digging, or mowing over the ever present seedlings each spring. If you have a rose of Sharon which is more of a bother than a bonus, then you may need to remove the shrub from your garden. This can be done easily in an afternoon, just be sure to have someone help you to make the work easier.

Step 1

Wait until autumn for the leaves to have fallen off the rose of Sharon. With the leaves dropped, the plant will be dormant, and not actively growing.

Step 2

Dig around the base of the plant approximately a foot away from the main trunk and other stems on all sides.

Step 3

Dig down a foot deep to loosen the entire root ball. Smaller plants may not need a foot deep, but for established, older plants you'll want to get down to as much of the roots as possible.

Step 4

Have a friend pull up on the trunk of the rose of Sharon while you use the shovel to raise the root ball up out of the ground.

Step 5

Divide the root ball into halves and then divide the halves in half as well. These divisions can be used as new plants in another location or given to friends or family who want the plants.

Step 6

Fill the hole with soil, or plant another plant in it and then fill. In the spring, pull up any seedlings from seeds which may have sprouted, or simply cut them to ground level with the pruners and cover over with mulch.