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I'll be moving to another house in a few weeks. I've planted a lot of different perennial plants--irises, lilies, elderberry bushes, fruit trees, chrysanthemums, sage, oregano, peonies, hostas, etc. at the house where I live now--Zone 5. Wanting to know if it's OK to dig up now and transplant any/all of the above NOW and will they likely survive a Nebraska winter if transplanted now. I've already cut back the irises and the peonies are dying back. The fruit trees are still small--one new this year and the other two were planted bare root last year. Elderberries are well established but I could take root cuttings. The chrysanthemums have buds but haven't blossomed yet. I probably could come back in the early spring and get them as the house I am vacating not likely to be rented out again but I'd like to take them with me when I move out next month, if possible. Advice. please?
Last edited by Cunucu Beach; 10-11-2010 at 09:21 PM..
Not exactly on topic, but here in PA. trees are considered part of the property. I'm not sure what arrangements you have with your landlord, but you may want to be sure they don't expect that stuff to stay.
Not exactly on topic, but here in PA. trees are considered part of the property. I'm not sure what arrangements you have with your landlord, but you may want to be sure they don't expect that stuff to stay.
Yes, I am aware of that. However, the house I am vacating is unlikely to ever be rented again. There is a potential fire hazard from an antiquated electrical box and the landlord does not want to spend the money to replace it. He will likely go back to using the house as storage, which is what it was until I came on the scene 8 years ago looking for a house to rent. By next summer the yard will be overgrown with weeds again and in a few years the volunteer trees will overtake everything. I started a thread about this in another forum. My landlord does not care that I want to dig up some of the many plantings I have done over the past 8 years and take them with me.
No expert, but I vote for moving perennials now, up to the point of the ground freezing.
I've always had good success with mid-late fall transplanting. If done properly, and you
get some moisture on the transplanted areas, re-root growth should be taking place until
the sub-soil is very cold. Nothing on your list that would cause me to wait until next spring.
My 50Cts...
GL, mD
I live in a different zone (7a) than you so "NOW" is different for you and I. But earlier this spring (~ Feb) I dug up a small fruit tree that I planted in August and moved it to a different part of yard. It survived well and produced fruits this year.
I'd suspect that if the leaves have fell from the tree (which should be for you now), then it has gone into dormancy so it should be okay to transplant.
Now would still be OK for transplant but another few weeks may be shutting the door because the ground may be freezing to soon after and may damage the roots. It will depend on how fast it gets cold and stays cold.
For many perennials fall is one of the best times to transplant. Irises usually need a bit more time to establish roots, which is why you are supposed to transplant them right after blooming, but you should be able to transplant them right now. With some mulch as it gets cold you may get good establishment. Don't forget to trim the leaves back a bit to keep them from falling over and pulling up the rhizome.
Lilies should be OK since usually the advice is to wait until the foliage dies back and then transplant the bulbs and bulbettes. They can probably be the last thing you move.
Can't tell you much about fruit trees but assume if you get enough root ball, water enough and mulch enough before the ground freezes they should be OK unless you have an extra dry and windy winter.
The chrysanthemums may loose flowers but they should still transplant well if they are well established and you have a big enough root ball.
I stopped at a nursery yesterday and talked to the owner about transplanting. She said I could prepare an area of ground in my new place, plant the irises, tulips, hostas, peonies and then cover them with mulch until next spring and then transplant to a permanent location. She said this is called "heeling". She said the general rule is that if it blooms in the spring, it will transplant pretty well in the fall if mulched over the winter and given water if there is no snow or rain. The apple and peach trees might be iffy but I should get as much of the root ball with dirt as possible and put into a large bucket over the winter--also water occasionally if no snow. The mums will do best if I wait until spring and come back for them, since they are blooming now.
Thought I would pass this along in case there are others here who might be faced with a similar problem.
Can you do both? Take some now and then get some more in the Spring? Then you'll be able to replace any of the bulbs and such that don't take and also multiply the amount you do get relocated.
I am in zone 4 I think, and now I am moving strawberry plants, of which 1/2 have been and succesfully. We had very extraordinary rains which helped a lot.
Many flower (bulbs) 2 years ago were planted in too much shade. (sad really wanted them where they are) So asap these will be moved into full sun, before freezing stops me I hope.
If possible get the places ready, with holes and soil all ready to dig up the pants as you can and plant them. Just don't forget to water them all. Maybe add some mulch.
The hostas, if they are like mine, you can't kill them almost no matter. For 2 years i have been giving them away to anyone who will take them and new plants pop up in Spring from a little bit of roots i miss. If now isn't cold enough, like you haven't had 3 or 4 hard frosts I might wait till you do.
Getting the new place ready first will ease a lot of the work.
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