I am putting up a fence around my backyard. I have 4 fruit trees that are 1 foot from the line where I'm putting the fence, and I'd like to move them. They are semi-dwarf, and were planted just this last winter. They are about
6-8 feet tall but very sparse. Can I just dig them up and plant them somewhere else, or should I wait until they are dorman. IOW, will it hurt them to dig them up now and move them?definitely it might hurt the plants which you moved.
Zootal wrote:
"definitely" is not the same as "might hurt".
You can move almost anything with TLC and understanding of the specific plant's needs. A good nursery, or recourse to Western Garden Book (or regional equivalent) can identify plants that don't like to be moved. But I have even had luck moving clivia by removing some of the crowded parts and transplanting them w/TLC.
If you post again, giving your region, we can offer more specific advice,
Persephone
Moving them in mid-summer is probably a bad idea. The warm weather will put extra stress on a transplanted tree. Fall would be a much better time. When you move them, try and capture as much of the root structure as possible.
Sherw> I am putting up a fence around my backyard. I have 4 fruit trees that are 1
I think fall is prefered to spring. With a spring planting, the plants will have to go through a hot summer. Fall will allow them more time to adjust to the new location and they can go dormant over the winter with no problem, ready for the next spring season.
Sherw> If it were me I'd move them in the early spring before the buds fatten.
This man has fruit trees. I won't speak about other plants, but moving fruit trees in the summer heat is definitely a bad move.
Sherw> >
Moving any tree or large shrub in Texas (where I live) at this time of year is certain death, no question.
The very best time to move any tree, any climate is when you'd plant it originally. So, if fruit tree planting time is in the late winter, that's when it would be good to move them. In areas where the ground freezes, I suggest you dig the holes where you'll move the trees to and fill the holes with leaves till you're ready to dig out the trees. One other thing would make it easier, root prune the tree in early fall with a shovel or sharp shooter so if the ground is frozen in late winter you will not have too hard a time removing the tree from its old location.
My apologies: I'm in Lebanon, Oregon, which is about 20 miles south of Salem. Mid Wilammette valley. The trees were planted last winter as bare root semi dwarfs that I bought from Costco. So this is their first year in the ground. They have grown fairly well, here is some pics of them:
file:///N:/hellserver/htdocs/stuff/2006%20July%2029%20Garden/images/DSCF4128.jpg
To the right you can see one of the rows of trees, and you can see they are small and quite young.
What happened is I bought the property last December, and planted the trees in January. I finally got my hands on surveying reports and talked to the city about where I can put a fence, and 4 of the trees are 1 foot outside of the fence. I could go around them, but I really don't want the trees outside of the fence.
Oops, my bad, here is a good link to the pic.
file:///N:/hellserver/htdocs/stuff/2006%20July%2029%20Garden/images/DSCF4128.jpg
Matthew, This fall, after the last leaves drop, dig up your fruit tree with a root ball that is as big as you can drag to the new spot. Then dig a hole for planting about the same size using the dirt to fill up the first hole, plant your trees. The roots will grow during the winter and should be ready for next year's growth period in the spring.
Richard Reames
I have never heard this theory before. Perhaps you can explain the logic behind it? Are you saying that it should be planted at the optimal time for that climate, or are you saying just match up the season it was originally planted in? If you mean the former, in any area I can think of, fall would be the best time. If you mean the later, it makes no sense.
Where in the world do you plant trees in the dead of winter? Perhaps you are thinking of a warm zone, where the ground never freezes, but I think early spring would work much better, and even better in fall. Fall is usually the best time because the earth is still warm and roots can grow somewhat before the cold winter temperatures set in.
Sherwin D.
The best time to plant fruit trees is in late winter. I am saying the optimal time to transplant is the same as the optimal time to plant. If the plant is in a container there is more wiggle room, but not much.
Yes, "you think." Did you read the whole post where I said to dig a hole when it is still warm out, fill it in with leaves, and I will say if there's any alfalfa hay around that would be great to fill the hole with till it's time to dig out the fruit tree. And yes, I plant fruit trees where I live in February, which is late winter. It is not a good idea to plant trees right before the summer. A tremendous amount of watering and fussing will bring it through, but there will be stress to the tree and the roots will not develop as well. Always best to plant in EITHER late fall or winter. You may disagree. This is Usenet. I do far more research for myself than taking the word of anyone I don't know.
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