Â鶹Éç

Garden inspiration  permalink

can i do this?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by claire (U14571809) on Wednesday, 11th August 2010

  Ive been widening my borders, probably 3 x the width. Obviously now lots of things that are planted could do with being moved, If the plant has finished flowering can i move it?? Or will this kill or damage the plant?
  Cheers Claire

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Wednesday, 11th August 2010

  Hi claire,
  It depends on what plants your wanting to move,
  ie take the rhubarb family just as a case, it 's not keen on being moved, and the rose again you should wait until the end of the season when the plants at rest.
  
  But no matter what plant your thinking of moving it's very important to make sure your newly made area is full of good compost /manure and has good drainage, so maybe if you take a soil sample (kits are very cheap from any good garden centre) and see what your new extra ground is reading, this will tell you if you'll need to use any general feed for the ground,
  you'll have a much better chance of getting really good strong and healthy plants going if they're re-planted or freshly planted into good soil?, And soil that drains well.

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by marcia (U14085462) on Wednesday, 11th August 2010

  In general I would agree with punpun.
  
  However, my OH is in the Forces and we used to move house every couple of years. If it was within UK I always took my 'best' plants with me and transferred them into my new garden, irrespective of the time of the year. I probably wouldn't have attempted extracting any from frozen ground! The only things I left were Spring bulbs or any climber that looked too gorgeous to cut down and dig out.
  
  I still move plants around at any time of year. (I much prefer doing that than swopping furniture around in the house). A few weeks ago I moved a flowering agapanthus and a peony in flower. They're both thriving in their new spots.
  
  I'd advise you to fork around plants very carefully before lifting. Prep the new site, feed and water well in.

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by claire (U14571809) on Thursday, 12th August 2010

  Cheers guys, do you know i was wondering how i found out what kind of soil i had in my garden and now i know. will be getting a soil testing kit at the weekend.
  Thanks for the tip on how to move plants much appreciated
  Claire

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by aeonium (U5004457) on Thursday, 12th August 2010

  I'm another who tends to move as and when needed but with roses and shrubs it could depend on how long they have been in place. The roots can penetrate a fair way down after a few years. If you must do it try and move them in the evening and dig and prepare the new hole before you start. With perenials I would say dig at least a foot around the plant with shrubs it could be 2ft. try to get your spade right under the plant so as to get most of the root. Put it into the new hole and water well till you are sure it has taken. The last plant I moved was a Desfontania, it is still holding on but maybe it is one of the plants that I should have left till later in the season. Oh well you can't win em all

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Thursday, 12th August 2010

  Hi All,
  I should have said yesterday that if your going to move small frit trees ect, remember the plants can suffer from shock and will need lots of watering for a few weeks as the roots would have been disturbed and need to get established again.

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by jo4eyes (U13654107) on Thursday, 12th August 2010

  I must admit to also moving herbaceous plants whenever they need it/I feel like doing it. Providing you take care with having their new 'home' ready & give them some TLC afterwards you can be ok.
  
  Autumn is often the best time as the soil is still warm enough for the plant to settle before going dormant for the winter.
  
  Autumn flowering ones are best moved in Spring otherwise you can lose season's flowers.
  
  Must admit to never having moved a tree in 20+yrs when OH & me moved some Lawson Cypress from one side of garden to the other. Now I know why they were in their original place & we should have left them be! Never mind. J.

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message7

• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by marcia (U14085462) on Monday, 16th August 2010

  This is weird but I've got to move the roots of a Lonicera so that some drainage can go under ground.
  
  It's 5 years old and way up the house, flowers and trails beautifully. I plan to try and ease out as much as the root as possible, put the roots in a pot of multi-purpose and then plant it back once the builders have cleared off. I'm just hoping they leave me enough space to dig the roots back in again.
  
  I can't think what else to do - apart from digging it all out and starting again.
  
  

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message8

• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Wednesday, 18th August 2010

  Go for it Marcia, I would suggest cutting it back hard so it can concentrate on making new roots and settling down once it gets back into its place. Maybe take several cuttings from the prunings, so that if the worst happens, you have new baby plants to bring along to put there. Take the opportunity to refresh the soil where the lonicera came from, with new compost, manure or whatever you have. Some bone meal will help it settle after.
  
  While it is resting in its big bucket or whatever, keep the roots moist but not too wet, I would trim it back then so it is not trying to support all its area in a strange place. Let's hope the plant does not get damaged during whatever it is that you are having done, in my experience workers are sometimes not as careful of your plants as you will be! I had to change window cleaners for that reason, as the first seemed to think not mentioning broken pots or plants was the way forward in my estimation, guess what? It wasn't!!

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message9

• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by marcia (U14085462) on Wednesday, 18th August 2010

  Thanks for the good advice Bookertoo. I think I will take the opportunity to give it a good trim and feed; nurture it through it's ordeal!. It may not be too easy to get to cos it's winding around a Brown Turkey.
  
  I'll go swaying around up the ladder tomorrow, weather permitting.

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message10

• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Thursday, 19th August 2010

  Please do take great care when swaying about on the ladder Marcia, we do not want to hear of any accidents, only good reports about both the lonicera and the fig. If your weather is as ours this morning, it is chilly, but not very breezy, some sunshine, but wet forecast later - so if now is a good time for you it may well be the best ladder time we will get today. Good luck, tell us how the platns do won't you?

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message11

• Message 12

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by marcia (U14085462) on Tuesday, 24th August 2010

  The honeysuckle and fig have been saved. Hurray!
  
  I got a workman to put the ladder up (for me to sway around on) and he asked me why I needed it there. I explained about me needing to cut back plants because down guttering needed to be re-routed (no pun intended) and he sucked his teeth, quite hard. We then consulted a man block-paving a drive and all agreed I needed to contact the gutter man as we had come up with a better plan (known in The Trade as Plan B).
  
  Plan B all agreed so plants saved! Workmen left and I'd forgotten I still had heavy metal ladder leaning up side of house. Thought I had better move it and as it's so heavy I sorta stretched out my arms under it and "walked" it forward - rung by rung. No guesses as to what happened when top of ladder got lower and lower and became too heavy for me to control. I was under it and swinging around like Laurel(or Hardy?). When it all got a bit much for me I just had to let it slam on to the lawn. It missed the greenhouse.
  
  No accidents and plants are still romping away. That's what a call a "good report" bookertoo!

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message12

• Message 13

  , in reply to message 12.

  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Wednesday, 25th August 2010

  I agree that is a very good report Marcia, the mental picute of you doing a Larel and Hardy with the ladder at first alarmed me, but as it ended well gave me a good chuckle!
  
  Glad the plants are still romping, nice when a plan comes together........

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message13

• Message 14

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by Lizajane (U14283900) on Thursday, 26th August 2010

  When we moved back to town I filled my tubs with the compost from the bins I had been nurturing. I replanted an old rose in one of the tubs I brought with me and now find I also have a tomato plant and cucumber plant growing alongside it. We get some very strange looks from passers by. I haven't the heart to uproot them at the moment. My garden is very exposed and I find it very difficult gardening with so many people passing who all want to have a chat and either give or ask for advice!

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message14

• Message 15

  , in reply to message 14.

  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Sunday, 29th August 2010

  Quite a few people come and chat when I am gardening out the front of the house, it can be rather nice. I have met several dog walkers who chat about the plants I am growing, some cyclists who wisely dismount when they get to our point up the hill, and use a garden chat as a break in which to catch their breath. If I have had enough people stuff I ccan always just go into the back garden and work there, where no-one can see me or talk to me except me delightful, on both sides, neighbours.
  
  One lovely lady used to wait each spring for my almost denim blue primroses at the front. she loved them, sadly she has since died but it was so good to spend that little time with someone I would probably never have met otherwise. One of the big pluses about gardening are the lovely people you tend to meet.

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message15

• Message 16

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by mister-grow-it-all (U14591945) on Tuesday, 31st August 2010

  I would wait just a wee wail then i think it would be fine ,its better when its a little cooler you would have keep watering them to setle them in ,if it was hotter but dont leave it too late as the plants may not have time to get root in there new spot which could lead to roting off in winter

  Link to this forum: can i do this?

  Report message16

Back to top