By Dan Rahn
University of Georgia
Landscape mistakes can come back to haunt you. You thought the
shrubs you planted a while back were perfect, but now you can’t
get the door open or see out the picture window. Fortunately,
winter is a great time to correct these mistakes.
You don’t have to live with your landscape mistakes, says Gary
Wade, a horticulturist with the University of Georgia Extension
Service. Move them to a better place. And don’t wait. Do it now.
“February is a good time to move plants,” Wade said. “If you do
it right, there’s no reason they shouldn’t thrive in a new spot
in the landscape.
“You’ll still be able to enjoy them,” he said. “And you can put
smaller, more appropriate plants in the places the big shrubs
have overgrown.”
When moving plants, he said, you’ll be cutting off a large
portion of the roots, so you’ll have to prune back the top, too,
to compensate. You may need to remove one-third or more of the
canopy.
Top, too
However, if you remove half or more of the canopy and have to cut
back to large stems, you might as well prune the plant all the
way to the ground. Otherwise, it may look like a shrub on legs
when it begins growing again.
Most broadleaf shrubs can be severely pruned, but never cut back
junipers, pines, spruce or other conifers, Wade said, because
they won’t form new growth when they’re cut back to old wood.
Boxwoods are slow to regrow after severe pruning, he said, so
prune them conservatively when you move them.
If you can avoid pruning back large, spring-flowering shrubs like
azaleas when you transplant them, they will still flower in the
spring. Then you can reshape them with pruning after they bloom.
When you dig up a large shrub, he said, save as many roots as you
can.
“Most of the roots are within the top 12 inches of soil,” he
said, “so it’s important to get as much of the surface roots as
you can.”
How to do it
As a rule, he said, the width of the root ball should be 12
inches plus an extra 2 inches for each foot of height above 2
feet. In other words, a shrub 6 feet tall would have a root ball
at least 20 inches wide — 4 (feet) times 2 inches plus 12 inches.
“Carefully cut underneath the ball and place a piece of cloth,
such as burlap, under it,” he said. “If the shrub is large, it
may take two people to carry or drag it to its new location.”
When transplanting, time is critical, Wade said. Before you dig
the plant, dig the new hole so there is no time delay in getting
it to its new home.
“Roots die quickly when exposed to sun and air,” he said, “so
getting them in the ground as quickly as possible will help
survival. Also, make certain the shrub is planted no deeper than
it was growing in the previous location.”
“As soon as you plant it, water it thoroughly,” he said. That
should be all you have to do.
But don’t forget about the plant. You could still lose it if you
have a period without rain during the next few weeks.
“Don’t let the root system dry out,” Wade said. “You may need to
water it from time to time. Keep the roots moist, but not wet,
and it should do fine.”
(Dan Rahn is a news editor with the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
