Autumn’s the season for moving plants
March and April – when it’s not too hot and not
too cold – are great months for transplanting
evergreen shrubs and small trees. But, before
you start, think carefully. Transplanting always
involves risk for the plant, so don’t do it unless
you absolutely must – or if you’re prepared to
take that risk.
The chances of success depend very much on
the size of the plant. Generally, the smaller the
plant, the easier it will be to move with minimal
root disturbance.
When it comes to larger trees and shrubs, you’ll
be limited by the weight you can lift. A root ball
one metre across can be surprisingly heavy and
it may require at least four people to lift it. If the
root ball is larger than you can physically
handle, you’ll have to cut the roots back to a
manageable size, which could cause
irreparable damage. In this case it may be
better to consult an expert arborist for advice.
Despite these qualifications, there are many
things you can do to improve your chances of
success at transplanting time, including:
- Prepare the new position well
beforehand. Dig organic matter and
some gentle Dynamic Lifter pellets into
the soil. Add water-storing crystals if
required. Check drainage, aspect etc.
- If the plant has a large root system and
you can wait a couple of months, start
by assessing the diameter of root ball
you can handle. Then use a sharp
spade to cut vertically down into the soil
around this circle. Push the spade in as
deeply as possible. This will encourage
new roots to grow inside this area during
the coming weeks.
- Choose a cool day to move. Water the
root ball and the new planting spot and
allow both to drain.
- Spray the foliage of the plant with Yates
DroughtShield.
- Move with care, digging to extract the
root ball with minimal disturbance.
Wrap with plastic sheet or hessian to
hold the root ball together.
- Position plant in its new spot so it has
the same aspect as before – and don’t
plant more deeply.
- Backfill gently and water to settle soil
around the roots.
- Apply some Yates Waterwise Soil
Saturator to the root area to encourage
water to move easily into the roots.
- Trim any damaged shoots. Apart from
this, these days most experts suggest
it’s best not to cut back the foliage.
- Make sure the root ball stays moist,
especially in the vital first weeks.
- An application of Yates Nature’s Way
Seaweed Booster will do just as it
sounds – boost the growth of new roots
and help the plant to re-establish as
quickly as possible.
Comments (6)
Add a comment
Jeanette
Yates site member
16:23, 05 March 2010
I want to move a crepe myrtle tree which is about 1.3 metres tall. I thought it was a miniature when I planted it but it is growing too big for the spot, which is immediately in front of my steps. How big is the root ball on a tree that size and should I wait till winter or can I do it in Autumn, please. It will be in the garden further away from the house.Thank you. Jan.
Leslee
Yates site member
17:48, 05 March 2010
I've got the same problem, Jeanette! But as it's a deciduous tree, wait until it loses all it's leaves in winter. Then it doesn't matter about losing some of the roots. Just keep as much of the root ball as you can manage comfortably. You could also prune it a bit if you want to improve it's shape. They grow 3-4 metres tall and can get very wide, so give it a nice big space. They can look absolutely beautiful in summer (flowers) autumn (autumn leaves) and even winter, as they have lovely bark.
Kelly
Yates site member
07:45, 06 March 2010
Hi Jan, do you know the variety of your crepe myrtle? They vary considerably in their size dependant on the variety. Some are around 1m high and there are others that can grow up to 10m. Knowing the variety you have will give you a good indication of how much room you'll need for it. A good website is flemings.com.au. Crepe Myrtles are listed under Ornamental Trees. I agree with Leslee regarding leaving the transplanting until all foliage has fallen and the tree is in its dormancy stage.
MARY
Yates site member
18:02, 07 March 2010
i am having a bit of a problem . my bore must be more or less getting dry as when i turn it on i can only water 5 mins at the most and very worried can you please help me on what to do ? mary
Elizabeth
Yates site member
11:18, 16 March 2010
I am wanting to move some 3 yr old climbing roses from over an arch leading from my front gate to my steps. When we bought our home we thought they would be nice. The previous owners planted them just before we bought the place. They haven't done well and I think they would do better out the back of the property. We have about an acre out the back, so I thought I could either grow them against the pagolla, or the very old timber shed, or even make a couple of sturdy trellises for them to grow on. Does anyone have any ideas? When they do get flowers they are devine, but I am sure they could do much better in a more sunny aspect,and in a better place where I wouldn't have to keep snipping pieces off to save people from getting nasty scratches.
Elizabeth
Yates site member
11:24, 16 March 2010
When is the best time to move the climbing roses & what special care if any will they need? We live on the border of Qld & NSW. Warm summers & up to 8 degrees below zero in winter with some severe frosts at times.
Add your reply