Transplant instructions are a "Hit"

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... I transplanted two junipers from my folks' house.

...one, about 5' tall that I needed for privacy... is PERFECT! ...The other is... 11', skinny, fits nice near the house and I can see it from my desk. It took me about 3.5 hours to dig each tree out and follow the root system. (You would have been proud!)

I also got the chainsaw out and took down the mulberry tree next to the house... I put the Serbian (spruce) near the area where I removed the mulberry... IT LOOKS GREAT from the house. So I have the Serbian and two junipers decorated with lights and on timers. I am very happy... - D. K. -

 

Congratulations!

We couldn't have done that work any quicker. And here we thought we'd gained time with experience!

 

Our instructions for transplanting a large plant

(from our Garden By Janet & Steven workshops, and weekly ensemble #154):

• Begin digging just beyond the plant's drip line.
• Cut the roots cleanly there and make a trench all around the plant.
• Then use hand tools to peel and/or wash soil down into the trench from the top of the root ball.
• Keep peeling, and scooping that soil out of the trench until you can see the top of the root system and also gauge its depth from the inside face of the trench.
• Then, undercut the roots (make the trench deeper and wider if necessary to get an undercutting angle).
• Let more soil crumble away, bending and tying roots out of the way as necessary.
• Finally, use a sharp spade to cut completely under the root ball.
• Tip the partially bare-root plant onto a folded tarp.
• Unfold the tarp, assemble friends to grab the tarp edges and give the heave-ho to slide the plant to its new home.