The white and lavender are new colors in recent years. My experience with them has been as good as with the more common colors. Give them some time.

Thanks Donna. I will give them time to mature.
Bob

my lantana are just now starting to really perform and they are established. i agree with giving them more time, and not too much TLC.

Thanks louisianagal. How long have you had them?
Bob

I have had my lavender ones for about five years. They are about half the size right now that they will be by fall. I have had the whites about three years. Same thing with their size. I'm not sure, but I believe that some of the yellow and gold ones may ultimately reach a bigger size than some of the other colors. Or maybe they just grow faster. Either way, I love the ones I have.

I can also tell you that there is a variegated lantana out called Susannah. It is a truly beautiful lantana, but not as vigorous and nowhere near as winter hardy as all others I have ever grown.

Donnabaskets,
Thanks for your reply. Hope you see this, since I responded so late. But I kept thinking about your reply.
You said, "They are about half the size right now that they will be by fall. "
Do you cut them back? When and how much?

I have 8 white ones that I want to move. I just got them in April. They grow like crazy but no flowers yet. But they are way too big for where I have them. I moved a different lantata in May. It went into shock, so I had to water it everyday for a while and it is doing fine. To releive the stress on the white ones I pruned them back to about a 14" circle. I planned to move them after they got over there trimmimg each. The trimming shocked them, turning some leaves brown. After a week they look like they recovered. I might move them now or just wait until they become somewhat dormant. The last paragraph is unrelated to my question to you. Sorry.

Thanks,
Bob

My well established lantana is just now starting to bloom.

I am very surprised that they aren't flowering yet. Have you given them fertilizer? These are plants that require very little if any fertilizer, and too much might cause them to produce all leaves and no blooms. Just a tip.

Yes, it is very easy to underestimate how much space lantanas will need. You don't want them to be so crowded that they require pruning to stay in bounds. First, they won't like it, as you have seen, but secondly, it will ruin their natural form and beauty, and you'll just have a bunch of sticks.

I usually set them three feet apart in the ground. I would not recommend that you move them right now if your weather is like mine. They are tough, but it is so dreadfully hot and dry. On the other hand, if you have a spell of weather coming where you will get regular rain and/or clouds for a few days, then you should be alright.

If you decide to go ahead and move them now, water the plants well the night before they will be dug. This will get them fully hydrated before you cut their roots.

Be sure to prepare their new homes before you dig them up! Loosen and amend the soil with some good organic material in a three foot diameter area for each plant. The roots will easily spread as wide as the branches do. The good news is, you only need to dig one spade's depth. Once the soil is soft and loose, dig a good wide hole for the plant and fill it with water. The water will soak in deep and be available for the new roots for several days.

At this point, plunge your spade straight down in a circle a foot (or as far out as you can get) from the center of the plant all the way around. Then lever and lift the plant out, keeping as much soil as possible around the roots. Having watered the night before, this shouldn't be too tough.

Quickly plant it in its new home and instantly water it thoroughly in the entire area you prepared for it. Add a good thick mulch around it, and if it's hot and sunny, put a cardboard box over it (open to the sky) for a day or two to help reduce transplant shock. Since you have so many to move, you might do them one at a time just to make sure you have success. Then if you lose one, you don't lose them all.

Typically, if a newly moved plant lives the first week, it will be fine, but you will need to keep an attentive eye to its moisture needs for the first season. Don't over-water though! Make sure the ground around the plants is nearly dry before you grab the hose.

If you lived further north, I would caution you about waiting too long since the roots would need to establish before winter if you want it to live through till next spring. But since you live so far south, I assume that will not be an issue.

One other tip. It's really quite pleasant working outside, even hard digging work, from sun-up to about 9:00 a.m. If you decide to move them now, I would definitely advise that you try to use those early morning hours.

I sure wish I could find a sale on them in my area. No mark downs here. I could use about 20-30 of them and when your on a budget that does not work well! LOL Wal-mart don't have them and Lowes is so high. Any suggestions? I am actually trying to grow some from seed, that is not working well.