Is it Too Hot To Transplant?
Wednesday July 9, 2008
The short answer is yes. Summer is never the best time to move plants or trees. Unfortunately, there are times when you must move it or lose it. In those instances, there is a bit of magic that will allow you to move plants in your garden during the dog days of summer. It's called water. It's not fool proof, but with a little diligence, summer transplanting can be done successfully. Here's a Quick Tip for Transplanting Perennial Plants in the Summer, with the whens and wherefores of watering.
Trees can be a bit trickier. Root pruning is the magic needed to successfully move and established tree and that takes some preplanning.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2007) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Comments
Apart from extra water, especially overnight, I make portable shade with shade cloth and a light wooden frame on legs. Easy to make from scraps and keeps the plant, the mulch and thus the roots cooler. Wire frames work, anything that supports the cloth.
I also take as large a clump of soil as possible to protect the tender roots and line the new hole with rich, damp compost. I make sure to soak the transplants with a gentle watering at least once a day for several days thereafter.
Since annuals take to moving much better than perennials, I use them liberally to fill in my perennial beds. Also, as a practice, I overfill my pots early in the season to make them more attractive and by early to mid-summer I’m busy transplanting. I love moving color around to the perennial beds as they wax and wane. It’s rare that my annuals stay in one place for an entire season.
Seems like the key to transplanting in summer is being around to care for the plants. Gardeners that are always working in their gardens anyway are there to watch over transplants and keep them happy.
Thanks for the excellent tip!
I transplanted three nice plants last summer and lost them. I wish I’d read your suggestion sooner.