Transplanting Old Roots – Can You Dig Up An Established Plant
Every mature plant has an established root system, providing water and nutrients to keep the foliage and flowers alive. If you are transplanting or dividing mature plants, you’ll need to dig up those old plant roots.
Can you dig up an established plant’s roots? You can, but it’s important to do the work carefully to allow the roots to remain intact. Read on for tips on dealing with transplanting old roots.
Digging Up Mature Roots
In most cases, you never see the mature roots of a plant. You install the young plant in your garden bed, water, fertilize, and enjoy it. However, you may see those old plant roots when you are dividing mature plants or moving plants to another location of the garden. In either case, the first step is digging up the plant’s root ball.
Can You Dig Up an Established Plant?
Perennials are easy to neglect since they can grow happily for years without assistance. They will eventually get big and overcrowd, though, and you will need to divide them. Dividing mature plants isn’t hard. You just dig up the plant, divide the roots, and replant the divisions in separate areas.
Can you dig up an established plant? You can dig up most plants, but the bigger the plant, the harder it is to accomplish. If you are dividing the mature roots of a small shrub, a garden fork may be the only tool you need to tease the roots out of the ground. Then, slice the roots into several chunks with a garden saw or bread knife.
Transplanting Old Roots
If you are transplanting the old roots of a large tree, it is time to call in a professional. If you are wanting to simply move a shrub or small tree, you may be able to do it yourself. You’ll want to do some root pruning first, however.
When you dig up the root ball of a tree, you inevitably kill some of the feeder roots, the small extended roots that absorb nutrients and water. Root pruning before transplant encourages the tree to produce new feeder roots closer to the root ball, so roots can travel with it to the new location.
Gardening tips, videos, info and more delivered right to your inbox!
Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter today and receive a free download of our DIY eBook "Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter".
Root prune at least six months before the move to give feeder roots time to grow. To root prune, use a sharp spade and cut straight down through the existing roots around the outside edge of the root ball. Feeder roots will grow from the old root ball.
Alternatively, dig a deep trench around the root ball and fill it in with rich soil. Wait until new feeder roots grow into the trench before transplanting the tree.
Teo Spengler has been gardening for 30 years. She is a docent at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Her passion is trees, 250 of which she has planted on her land in France.
-
Climate Change And Pests: Do Warmer Winters Mean More Pests?
Warmer climates can result in an increase of some pests and decrease of others, which isn’t always a good thing. Here's how to protect your garden.
By Bonnie L. Grant
-
What Is A Water Wick? How To Use One To Keep Houseplants Hydrated While You’re Away
A water wick for plants will give you a worry-free break if you need to leave your plant babies for a while. It’s easy to set up and pretty much runs itself.
By Amy Grant
-
Best Trees For Carbon Sequestration And Climate Change
Let’s keep planting trees. They are our best bet for capturing carbon and may help with our global warming issues.
By Teo Spengler
-
7 Invasive Trees You Should Never Plant In Your Yard Or Garden
What are some invasive trees you should never plant in your yard? Click here to find out.
By Teo Spengler
-
How Close Can You Plant A Tree To A Stump?
Looking to plant new trees near old stumps or where stumps have been removed? Click here to learn how.
By Teo Spengler
-
Messiest Trees That Drop Debris Everywhere
Want to know which trees will create the biggest messes in your home landscape? Click here to find out.
By Amy Grant
-
How To Get Rid Of Tree Sprouts In The Yard From Nearby Trees
Learn the simple way to keep pesky tree seedlings in your lawn from becoming saplings.
By Teo Spengler
-
7 Common Tree Care Mistakes That Kill Trees
Are you accidentally killing your tree? It's easier than you think, if you're committing one of these common mistakes. Click here for more.
By Teo Spengler
-
How To Tell How Old A Tree Is
Ever wondered how to calculate the age of a tree? Click here to learn all about it.
By Teo Spengler
-
When To Remove Tree Stakes From Saplings
A newly planted tree may grow strong when it’s staked, but don’t forget to remove the stakes when it’s stable.
By Teo Spengler