For a novice gardener, moving perennials or shrubs once they’re in situ can be daunting. Yet many plants transplant well—some even require it as part of routine divisions—and the whole process is a lot less daunting than you might think.
How to Transplant Shrubs
Moving a shrub is always a risk; some will cope with the stress and trauma better than others but if you need to move it then there are some ground rules. “This will lessen the stress on the plant (balancing the top growth with the roots) but will also make it easier to maneuver the plant.
Bare Root Beech Plants (Fagus sylvatica) make good hedging plants are available in various sizes for prices from £1.55 to £11.99 depending on size from Impact Plants.
Reviving a historic parterre in Northamptonshire. But as a rule, says Ed, shrubby things or woody-based things tend not to move very well.
Photograph by Jim Powell.
Photograph by Jerry Norbury via Flickr.
Cuttings from a pyracantha shrub. For professional gardeners, it’s more time-effective to take cuttings.
How to Transplant Tap Roots
Photograph by F.D.
A peony in progress; the exposed root system of Paeonia ‘Joanna Marlene’ gets a label so that when it goes back into the ground there will be no confusion about its color (yellow) or height (30 inches).
(And as someone who dug up and relocated an entire rose garden when I bought my house I can vouch for this.
Clumps of grasses, shorn, on the High Line in New York City. If you are dividing large root balls, lift plants with a fork and then prize the roots apart with back-to-back forks.
How to Transplant Grasses
Photograph by Frank Schulenberg via Wikimedia.
How to Divide Perennials
Photograph by Kendra Wilson.
At Coton Manor in England, “the head of the plant nursery Caroline Tait uses a large knife for dividing tougher knots, for example the roots of Vernonia, shown here,” writes Kendra.
Sedums, ready for a new home. : Looking for more reasons to putter around in the garden before the weather gets too cold?
Photograph by Kendra Wilson.