Moving Trees and Large Shrubs...

[Mulberry View]

Anyone got any words of wisdom on the moving of small/medium sized Trees and large Shrubs? We'll be selling the original property on from which our plot was formed. It was the home of my late Grandmother and her Husband. The garden had been a work in progress since 1956, it was truly his lifes work, packed with many non-native species. It fell into slight disrepair in later years, due to their old age of course. But it is packed with unusual plants and it breaks my heart that the next owners will probably just flatten it all, some loss is inevitable as the Driveway has become quite small as the borders have advanced. I wish we could stay around to preserve it, but sadly we can't.

 

My first candidate is a Chimonanthus Praecox, known as Wintersweet. It is absolutely glorious this time of year, never smelt anything like it. It is a shrub, about 3 metres tall/wide, but quite compact where it emerges from the ground. I also have a large, mature Rose that is too nice to lose.

 

Even if I do lift a few of these things, there are plenty that are clearly way too big to move, so there will be lots left. I know it'll break my heart to see the next owners come in here, I'm hoping we can sell the house in the Spring or Summer so they can see the garden in full bloom as it might encourage them to preserve it.

 

Have you any stories of success in similar projects? Is it a case of just digging it up with as much root as possible with a mixed success rate?

[Ferdinand]

Get some quotes before you start dreaming. And some advice on which ones are practical. 

 

For bigger ones it will take 2 growing seasons.

 

Have you considered commissioning an oil or acrylic painting of it?

 

When mum and me left their 40 year house after dad died, we made a predetermination to be grateful and pleased, but to walk away with no regrets. It is a good perspective.

[Russell griffiths]

So are you wanting to move them onto your new plot ?

 

if so get pruning and move them with an excavator so you can take more root than if you where hand digging. 

[Temp]

Winter is best time to plant/move trees. Take a look at the planting advice for "standard" trees on tree nursery web sites like here..

 

https://www.barcham.co.uk/guide-category/planting-guide/

 

Main problem is the weight of the root ball and earth. Its a big lump so excavator is best as @Russell griffiths said.

[Bonner]

It depends on the particular species so you will need expert advice. Critical factors are time of year, size of root ball you can move and if the plant will recover from hard pruning. The latter is important to reduce the shock load on the root stock, if it can be cut back to near the ground that would give it the best chance.

[Stones]

59 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

So are you wanting to move them onto your new plot ?

 

if so get pruning and move them with an excavator so you can take more root than if you where hand digging. 

 

We built a house on an established site 15 years ago, and had to remove about 10 large established shrubs.  Rather than just destroy them, I had the digger just dig them out with as large a rootball as he could manage in one scoop.  The shrubs sat, on the grass, throughout a bone dry summer before being replanted in late Autumn.  All but one came back really well within a year.  I neither pruned them back or watered them for the 6 -8 months they were out the ground.  Well watered when replanted.  As indicated above, probably not the best horticultural approach, but it worked!