how to avoid transplant shock - Garden Transplant Shock

by Barbara Arnold

Plants are much more resilient than we credit them for being. Hardy plants that survive our Ohio winters and summers are toughâ€”really tough. With this in mind, if you have a plant in a place that is causing it or you to suffer, for instance, if you have to squeeze by it to walk to the front door or you outright hate where it is currently planted, you should remember that it can be moved. And it can be done in such a way as to avoid all shock to the plant, or to you. So, when your parents thrust a rose bush upon you that they just have to pass on from their yard to yours, let go of your transplanting fears and accept it graciously. You can move more than just roses; even shrubs and smaller trees can be transplanted with relative ease.

This isnâ€™t to say that moving a plant from one corner of the yard to the other is quite the same as buying a plant at the garden center and planting it in your yard. Certain rules must be followed when moving established plants. One to consider is that plants have the best survival rate if transplanted when they are dormant, in the late fall or winter. For deciduous plants this is when they are leafless and before the buds begin to swell, and for evergreens itâ€™s the same time of year, though they retain their foliage. Follow the example of tree nurseries and dig trees in the winter and early spring. Transplanting on hot, sunny days or windy days dries the roots too quickly; this is one reason why moving plants in June, July and August is not preferable.

The new garden spot needs to fit the plantâ€™s needs. Does it have the right amount of sunshine? Is there plenty of water? Does the soil drain well? Know your garden plants and what they need.

Â© 2008 - 2012 Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Inc. All rights reserved. Material provided on this website is acquired from many knowledgeable and reliable sources. However, the material is intended to be informational only; is not guaranteed as to accuracy; and in no way should be considered a preference, recommendation or referral of any specific facility or activity.