On 2006-02-04, meexie wrote:
I have one in my backyard that's pretty big, about 4-5 ft tall. I'd
like to move it to the front yard where it will get more, and more
even, sunlight. Just wondering if anyone has done this successfully,
from what I have found on the internet they don't transplant well.

I understand the roots spread fairly shallow, but how deep should I dig
under for a bush this large?

Also, can I prune it back at the same time? Thanks.


The bigger the plant the greater the odds of losing it. You may want to
contact a professional.

here is some interesting info:

Gardenias can be pruned or trimmed at anytime of the year in as far as
thinning goes to reshape the shrub. To rejuvenate an older shrub, it can
be cut back to about 8 inches from the ground in early spring. As for
transplanting, either early to mid-fall once the plant is dormant, or
early spring before growth starts are both ok. The choice is yours.

The root system needs to fit the leaves on the shrub. The smaller the
root ball the more pruning you may need. If it were me I use a long
handled narrow trenching shovel. THe blade must only be 6-7 inches on
the one I own and it is a longer blade than a normal shovel. I am in
favor of getting as much roots as possible since even if you lose the
dirt some or all of the roots will survive.

With such a shovel the most practical root ball is 2-3 feet and 9 inches
deep. I start by going all around the bush one shovel width at a
time. YOu will need to angle toward the trunk at maybe a 45 degree
angle. The larger the diameter you choose means the more difficult it
is to get to the center all the way around. ONe way to get farther is
to dig out side the root ball ring with another maybe 6 inches farther
out. Soil conditions and roots from trees and other plants affect this.
If you get this trench as deep as you can then you can deepen the
original cut by most of the depth of the trench. Sometimes a second
person can help by lifting the root ball up so you and go deeper as
well. Damp clay soil this time of year helps keep the ball intact.

If yours is as bushy as ours, then you may have to tie up the limbs to
get in close enough. I am not sure I would do any pruning now as
youwill lose buds. Maybe some selective pruning. Use burlap to contain
the ball with as little breakage. The ball may weigh 50-100 pounds so
it is a 2 or 3 person job to get the burlap under it. I would suggest
just use the burlap as a sling/streacher to move it unless you are
talking miles.

Water it well initially. Keep an eye on it and look for wilting and
stress as spring and summer progress. YOu may have to prune it if we
have a dry hot summer to keep the leaves from giving up more water than
the roots can supply. Fortunately i think those glossy leaves help slow
the water loss. And over watering will cause root rot. Good luck.

Note I have never done this with a gardenia, but I have moved several
camelias this way as well as crepe myrtles. I did some severe pruning
on the camelia though and screened it from the sun with a piece of
lattice..



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