Michigan State University Extension
Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0 - 00001778
11/12/99
TRANSPLANTING
How Should I Prepare a Plant for Moving?
Careful attention to recommended practices--including
predigging preparations, or root pruning, methods of
digging and protection of roots--improves chances of
success in getting a plant off to a good start after you
move it.
Tying in Branches and Marking Orientation
Tying in the branches of low-branched or bushy plants will
help avoid injury and keep them out of your way when
you're digging and root-pruning. Heavy twine is usually
used for tying in branches, but burlap strips or 1/4-inch
rope may also be used. To tie in the branches, attach the
twine or other suitable material to a branch at the base
of the plant, wind it spirally around the plant to the
top, and tie it in a loop. Tie a flag of cloth or plastic
ribbon to a branch to mark the north side of the plant.
The flag makes it easier to position the plant properly
when it is planted.
Root Pruning is an Important First Step
Roots of trees and shrubs naturally grow well beyond the
soil volume that can be moved with balled and burlapped (B
& B) or balled and potted (B & P) plants, or beyond the
root spread of plants to be handled bare root. To keep
most of the roots within a small area, trees and shrubs
are root pruned in the spring or fall before they are
moved. Root pruning is done only after leaves have fallen
from deciduous plants in fall or before bud break in
spring. Root pruning at other times may damage plants
severely. The roots within the pruned space grow many
branches, forming a strong root system within a confined
space. If this root pruning is not done, the plant may
die from transplant shock because it lost too many roots
when it was dug.
Begin root pruning by marking a circle around the tree or
shrub, then dig a trench around the outside of the circle.
Take special care to separate the topsoil from the
subsoil so that, when you backfill the trench you'll
replace the subsoil layer first and then the topsoil.
After backfilling, water to settle the disturbed soil,
remove air pockets and provide adequate moisture for new
root development. Untie the branches after the root
pruning is done.
Digging the Plant
Before digging the plant, mark a branch that faces north
so the plant can be properly oriented when planted.
After the branches are tied in, the plant is ready for
digging. Deciduous trees less than 1 inch in trunk
diameter, measured 6 inches above the ground, or shrubs
less than 3 feet in height may be moved bare root. "Bare
root" means that most or all of the soil is removed from
the roots when the plant is dug. If you dig and move a
deciduous tree or shrub bare root, you can easily handle a
larger root system than you could manage if you dug the
plant with a ball of soil around the roots. Broad-leaved
and narrow-leaved evergreens should always be moved B & B
or B & P.
The digging operation consists of trenching around the
plant and removing the soil. Dig the trench far enough
from the plant to preserve a large proportion of the
fibrous roots. Make the trench deep enough to extend
below the level of the lateral roots; the depth may vary
from 9 to 19 inches.
After digging the trench, wash the soil off the lateral
roots with water. This minimizes root injury during soil
removal. To provide some protection for roots, move the
tree with "semi-bare" roots--with some soil left clinging
to the fibrous roots. This will help the tree recover
more rapidly.
After the lateral roots are free of soil, gently tip the
tree to one side to remove the soil under the plant. Tip
the tree very gradually to avoid straining or breaking
the roots and loosening the bark near the base of the
trunk. Cut any anchor roots or taproots that still hold
at a depth of 9 to 19 inches. To lift the tree out of the
hole, grasp it at the junction of the roots and trunk.
Balled and burlapped (B & B) or balled and potted (B & P)
plants are dug and moved with the soil in place around the
roots. Trees greater than 1 inch in trunk diameter,
measured 6 inches above the ground, and all evergreens are
usually moved and planted with balls of soil covering
their roots. Trees that are difficult to move--such as
beech, hickory, hornbeam, sassafras, sweet gum, tupelo,
walnut and white oak--need larger root balls than trees
that are easy to move. Trees growing in loose,
well-drained soil, such as a sandy soil, will have more
extensive or spreading root systems than trees growing in
a hard, poorly drained soil such as a tight clay.
The American Association of Nurserymen emphasizes in the
American Standard for Nursery Stock that ball sizes
should always be big enough in diameter and depth to
encompass enough of the fibrous and feeding root system to
provide for the full recovery of the plant.
Before starting to dig, remove any loose soil above the
roots. Then make a circle around the plant approximately
12 inches beyond the anticipated diameter of the finished
ball. Cut the roots by inserting a spade at the marked
circle with the back side of the spade toward the plant.
Use a sharp spade to make clean cuts that will heal
rapidly. Next, dig a trench outside and adjacent to the
marked circle.
Trim the ball to proper size and shape with the spade,
keeping the back side of the spade toward the plant.
Round off the trimmed ball at the top edge and taper it
inward toward the base. Avoid loosening the soil around
the roots by cutting small roots with a sharp spade and
large roots with hand or lopping shears. Next, undercut
the ball of soil at an angle of about 45 degrees to sever
any remaining roots and to loosen the ball from the soil
beneath.
To prevent drying, cracking and crumbling of soil, wrap
the ball tightly with burlap. Balls up to 15 inches in
diameter can be completely covered with burlap. One
method is to tip the ball and place a piece of rolled
burlap under half of the ball. Then tip the ball in the
opposite direction and pull the burlap under the other
half. Pull the burlap up around the ball and tie the
diagonal corners at the top. Secure loose folds of burlap
tightly around the base of the trunk with twine, then
support the ball by wrapping twine under and around the
burlapped ball. You may also protect the root system by
placing the soil ball in a pot (balled and potted) rather
than burlapping.
Balls of soil are heavy and difficult to move. A ball of
soil 15 inches in diameter and 15 inches deep may weigh
200 pounds or more. A plant with a small ball of soil can
be lifted out of the hole by placing a piece of burlap
under the ball and lifting by the four corners of the
burlap. Balls of soil weighing several hundred pounds are
best moved by professional arborists or landscape
managers who are familiar with the procedures of digging,
burlapping, rope lacing and moving such large balls.
Transporting and Protecting Ornamentals
From the time a plant is dug until it is planted in its
new location, the roots should never be allowed to dry.
Prolonged exposure to air will cause the roots of bare
root plants to dry out and die. Roots can be protected by
packing them in moist straw, sphagnum, peat moss, bark or
other suitable material and then wrapping with moist
burlap. Tops of plants should be protected from drying
winds when you're transporting them by car or truck.
Cover the shoots with a sturdy fabric or transport in a
covered van or truck. Guard against trunk and stem injury
by using protective padding.
It is important to plan ahead to allow sufficient time to
transplant ornamentals, so you can dig and then plant
without delay.
This information is for educational purposes only. References
to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not
mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU
Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise
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This file was generated from data base ZZ on 01/19/00.
Data base ZZ was last revised on 11/12/99.
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