Why transplant?
There are several, reasonable reasons to transplant your flowers or plants:
- Moving properties
- Redesigning, Correcting, or Rearranging your garden beds
- Relocating your plants to a better spot in your yard for more sun or shade
- Transferring potted plants and flowers to your garden
- Alleviate over-crowding
Suggested Tools
The following items and tools will probably be helpful, if not necessary when transplanting:
- Gloves
- Long bladed spade (sharp)
- Sharp loppers
- Small Trowel
- Pruners
- Bone Meal or other recommended fertilizer
- Wheelbarrow, wooden board, or plastic sheet to transport plant
- Water (two large buckets for each plant)
- Disinfecting sprays such as lime sulfur or funginex
When to Transplant
The best time to transplant is early spring, when the soil has thawed or softened and can be worked easily. Autumn also is an option with the recommended times being late September through early October. Please keep in mind that most plants, such as rose bushes and hostas, are still in a dormant stage during early to mid-spring. Transplanting at this time lessen the chance of shocking the plant.
Shocking
Transplant shock is trauma experienced by the plant as a result of the transplanting process. Carefully considering the monthly as well as daily weather conditions and the plant’s growth cycle can minimize, if not eliminate, transplant shock. To minimize shock, refrain from transplanting your plants when there are buds or blooms.
Another way to minimize shock is not to expose the roots longer than necessary and make sure the roots are not dry. You will need to be sure you schedule enough time to replant your plants the day you remove them from their original location.
The Transplanting Process
First, you should have the future flower bed or area prepared- this will alieve a lot of unneeded stress and time. Next, dig a hole to accommodate your plant. Keep in mind that you’re transplanting the roots with the soil still intact (known as a root ball), so additional space will be needed.
For potted plants, soak the plant for two days prior to digging or removing from the pot in order to keep this root ball intact during the process. For those of you who have patience, the perfect day weather-wise will be a mild, calm, and cloudy day with rain in the forecast. If the conditions are right, extract the plant from the hole delicately. Feel around the root system to see if the plant is moving or if it is still anchored. Carefully wiggle the root ball to assure that the extraction effects the least amount of roots. When extracted quickly transport the plant to the prepared area.
If a substantial elapse in time, you will need to wrap it in burlap or some other breathable material to ensure that the root ball stays intact. Once the plant is in the hole, remove the burlap if present from the root ball, add bone meal, and fill in the hole, making sure to eliminate any air pockets. You want to make sure the surrounding dirt embraces your transplant- but refrain from packing the dirt too much, as you want to be sure there is enough space for airflow and for water dispersion.
Try to refrain from pruning any excess growth and weak looking stems and branches. Prune at 45 degree angle, until you can see the whiteness of the branch and as close as possible to the parent branch. After planting and pruning, you should spray against fungus. At the very least, cover the bud union with soil to preserve it from drying.