I bought a dwarf in Tennessee, brought it home to N. W. Indiana and transplanted it into a thirty inch pot. It stayed in bloom until fall, when I moved it in to our enclosed back porch to protect if from a heavy freeze and it went dormant. This spring I brought it back out and after about two weeks it came back to life. I have it mounted on a wagon to make it easy to move in and out. However, it has not blossomed since. Why?
I live in northwestern Arkansas, in a house that's over 100 years old. The original owners planted a crepe myrtle that was huge. We've transplanted shoots during any time of year and found that 99% of them have taken. The only ones that died were from lack of water (heat of summer). We dug shoots, left them bare rooted for weeks intending to throw them out before giving them to someone, who planted them and they took too. Maybe it was just our variety, but they are pretty sturdy plants. Just make sure to water them well once transplanted so they can establish a good root system.
Dogwoods are much harder to transplant, at least in our area. Even when you buy one from a nursery, there's a big chance that it'll die from shock, or from our summer heat. The best luck that I've had is with smaller plants. We also cut a piece of PVC pipe (15-18" long, at least 4" wide, with holes drilled in the sides), burying most of it near the transplant's root system. We water the tree through this tube, so the water goes right to the roots, helping the tree establish a good root system. We use this pipe for at least 3-4 years before taking it out. Also, make sure the tree is mulched around the drip line, and the trunk is wrapped to protect it from borers, which are abundant and known to attack and kill dogwoods in out state.
Dogwoods take a lot of sandy loam, good drainage and acidic compost, as would be from leaf mold in the woods.They also get quite large, depending upon the variety, and can be persnickety in my opinion, although beautiful once established and happy. Don't plant them under the eaves of your home.
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