transferring a small tree to new garden.

Hi there,

I have a evergreen tree in garden of house that we used to live in. House is now sale agreed, and I want to transfer the tree for sentimental reasons...

Its one of those christmas trees that started off very small but is now a meter and more high. Neighbour says it will have very deep roots but would still like to try to move it to our garden. Has anyone any tips or advice on how to do it? the soil is very dry around it, don't know where to start. Except with a shovel or summat... if anyone has any advice, I would appreciate it,

many thanks

Probably the best time to move the tree is in winter when its dormant so less damage and better chance or recovery.

But moving the tree may depend on the type.

You could post the question here with the experts...

http://www.gardenstew.com/

Firstly, leave it in the ground until the last possible minute - it should be the last item you pack, and the first item you unpack!

Between now and when you move it, water it religiously - one good, long soak with the hose (30+ minutes) once a week is far better than daily sprinkling.

When the time comes to move it, if at all possible have the hole it's going into already dug and prepared - dig a good sized hole, put in some manure/compost if possible. Fill up the hole with water, and let it soak away.

Then, when the time comes to dig up the tree, do the following. Slice into the soil all the way round the tree in a circle, at least 2ft away from the stem, or at the very least at least as far as the branches go - the more soil/rootball you take with you, the better chance the plant has of succeeding.

Remove the soil to the depth of the spade on the outside of this circle. Try then to dig under the tree. The ideal you should be aiming for is to have a large ball of soil under the tree - a larger ball of soil than you think - in order to bring as many roots with you as possible.

Wrap this rootball in plastic/sacking as soon as you remove it from the ground (a good way to lift the plant out of the ground is to tilt it to one side, sliding sheeting/plastic under the rootball, then tilt in the other direction, pulling the sheeting through. Then just lift the sheeting, with the rootball on top of it - you will probably need at least two people to do this), and then get it into your newly-prepared hole in your new house without delay - no unpacking first or anything! The less time it is out of the ground, the less it will dry out, and the greater the chance of survival.

Plant it in the hole, to the same depth as it was originally, then firm soil well around the rootball, and water in really well.

You must water well for at least a couple of months, probably a good deal longer at this time of the year, to ensure the plant gets over the shock of being moved - it will need a while to repair damage done to its roots, and to grow new roots. Keep an eye on it in case it suffers wind-rock - if it does, re-firm the soil around its roots.

If the worst happens, and it doesn't survive the move, don't get too upset - conifers don't usually like being moved. Instead, buy a little christmas tree to celebrate your first christmas in your new home, and plant that afterwards instead!

Hello micamaca.
If the tree is a christmas tree type(conifer), then the roots should not go very deep.
The ideal time to move it would be in late winter, but you are at the sale agreed stage with your house.

If you have to move it now I would firstly suggest watering it heavily around the base for 5 days.
Prepare and dig it new planting pit before you even attempt to lift your conifer.
The idea is to have your transplant out of the soil for as little time as possible.

Try to tranplant on a calm misty day to prevent drying of the roots.
dig as wide as possible around it the conifer and try to retain as much soil around the rootball as possible.
Wrap the rootball in damp blankets, sheets or sacking, again to prevent drying out during transit.

Remember to stake your transplant in its new location as it is liable to wind rock.
Also remember to water,water, water for the first 6 months at least.

Hope this helps.

would this advice work with a mature rose bush. I started growing in my mum's and dads as a child, we have moved into a new house and my parents are selling up late this year early next year.

I assume i would be better off leaving it until mid october before moving but would appreciate additional info if necessary for moving a rose bush

Yes the advice goes for a rose as well.
Late Oct, Nov or Dec would be a good time to move it.
A rose bush actually has a much better survival rate than a conifer after transplanting.
The great thing about the rose is that you can prune it back hard before moving to prevent excessive strain on the re-establishing plant.
You usually cannot do this with a conifer.

Thanks very much to all who replied with such knowledge! I think I know what i need to do now, which is better than how I felt yesterday...am in the dark about gardening.

I will do as you say and see how it goes and if after all that, if it doesnt work out, at least I will have tried. I feel I must at least try. The neighbour next door will help me but I'll get the groundwork ready first.

thanks again for all of the advice, you're all very kind and good to take time to write such lengthy instructions.

Irish Garden said:

The great thing about the rose is that you can prune it back hard before moving to prevent excessive strain on the re-establishing plant.
You usually cannot do this with a conifer.

Click to expand...

By the way, does anyone know would pruning be recommended before moving a whitethorn bush or similar?

Thanks in advance.

If it is quite sizeable, yes.

Thanks for that info - one more question if you don't mind - is it better to prune immediately before replanting or some time previously

Thanks again

immediately before replanting.
hope this hellps.