Transplanting
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alt="" How to Transplant a TreeTransplantation is the uprooting of established trees, shrubs, plants, or flowers and re-planting them at a new location. This is often done in order to avoid damaging expensive plantings at a project site, or to facilitate new construction work, thereby reducing total project costs. Transplantation can also include the relocation of plantings from one project site to another, sometimes transporting them over significant distances. Uprooting and transplanting foliage can be very traumatic to the plant and can cause it to perish if done improperly. Various practical transplantation guidelines and precautions have been established by nursery, plant and tree professionals, based on their training and experience.
The selected new location must be appropriate for the future viability of the plant. Factors that must be considered include water and sunlight access appropriate for the species, and the type of soil used for replanting. Also of importance is an understanding of the routine care the plants may or may not receive under a future landscaping maintenance contract, and determining if the plants are desirable in the context of a broader landscape architecture plan. These factors will fit into a cost analysis decision on whether to replant or discard existing plants, and where to best place them if they are transplanted.
If transplantation is desired, it is best to move shrubs and trees during their period of dormancy. For many plants and trees, that is late fall to early spring; this timeframe should be adhered to if the site work schedule permits. Moving plants during their dormant phase is desirable because their roots will be more active during the warmer months, absorbing higher levels of water to sustain leaves and flowers. If leaves have appeared on trees or shrubs in the spring, the plants will be at a higher risk of not surviving the transplantation, or for their new growth to be stunted. Plants can still be moved in the summer, but much greater care in keeping the roots hydrated is required.
When the root systems of trees and shrubs are dug out and cut, it is best to cut them cleanly with a sharp-edged tool, without any pulling or tearing. If possible, it is better to move trees and shrubs with their root systems intact within an original half-sphere of soil known as a root ball, typically several feet in diameter for smaller trees and shrubs. A rough guideline is to match the root ball diameter to the span of existing foliage, or least 10-12 times the diameter of the trunk. Sometimes plantings are moved with their roots exposed because it may be easier and cheaper to transport them without a root ball. Keeping the root systems (or root ball) well watered during the time the plant is removed from the ground is crucial.
Watering and fertilizing the soils to a proper level at the replanting site is important to help facilitate the plant’s recovery at the new location.
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