Transplanting, And When To Do It

Some people have a hard time figuring out how to do transplanting, and when to do it. What most people don’t realize is that is that transplanting season begins after the first hard freeze in the fall and ends as soon as trees and shrubs make leaves in the spring.  However knowing when to transplant is not all you need to know.  Transplanting may appear to be an easy task but in actuality there are multiple important steps you need to take.


  1. Before transplanting, determine whether the tree or shrub prefers sun or shade, and what it’s spacing and watering requirements are. This can play a major factor in how well your plant does post transplant.
  2. After you’ve determined where you are transplanting to, dig the new hole before digging up the tree or shrub. Measure the width and depth of the plants root ball and be sure to make the new hole twice as wide and a bit shallower than the depth.  Avoid breaking up the soil once you reach the bottom of the new hole.
  3. Begin digging the tree or shrub out 3 inches from its base. Make sure to keep the root ball as intact as possible although this might be difficult.  Once it’s loose, remove the tree or shrub with a shovel and gently move your plant onto a nearby tarp.
  4. Drag the plant to the site and gently slide it into the new hole. Mound up the soil in a ring around the new tree to catch water like a basin and then spread a 3” layer of landscape mulch around the new transplant.
  5. Last but not least, make sure to water your new transplant as much as possible. Water is as essential as anything in the entire transplanting process.

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