How to Move an Established Shrub (Garden Transplant!) - Pots & Trowels, by Pots & Trowels Gardening Videos on YouTube. 13 min 43 s.
- Video length
- 13 min 43 s
- Time to do it
- 1 to 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Pick the new spot and check the light, soil and space suit the shrub. Clear weeds and dig over the area before you start.
Water the shrub deeply the day before the move, so the rootball holds together when you lift it.
Cut back long or awkward branches by about a third with clean secateurs. Tie in the rest so the stems stay out of the way.
Dig a planting hole at the new site twice as wide as the rootball and the same depth. Keep the soil in a barrow.
Dig a trench around the shrub about 30cm out from the stems, then work the spade under the rootball from all sides.
Lever the rootball free, slide a tarpaulin under it and lift with a helper or a barrow. Keep soil on the roots.
Set the shrub in the hole at the same soil level as before. Backfill in layers, firm gently and fill any gaps.
Water the shrub thoroughly until the water soaks down to the roots, then spread a mulch ring around the base.
Firm the soil again after watering and stake tall shrubs on windy sites. Water weekly for the first season.
Tips and common mistakes
Move shrubs in autumn or early spring, when the soil is moist and the plant is not growing hard.
Lift the rootball, never the stems, and get a helper for a heavy shrub to protect your back.
Keep the stem at the same level it grew at before, because burying it deeper can kill the shrub.
Some wilting and leaf drop is normal for a few weeks. Keep watering and do not feed until spring.
Questions
When is the best time to move a shrub?
Autumn or early spring is best, when the soil is moist and the plant is not growing hard. Avoid moving it in hot, dry or freezing weather.
Will the shrub survive being moved?
Usually yes, as long as you take a decent rootball and water it well afterwards. Expect some wilting and leaf drop while it settles in.
Can I move a flowering hibiscus in summer?
Wait until it has finished flowering if you can. If you must move it in summer, water it well the day before and keep watering through dry spells.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
