Moving a Acer??

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Parsnip

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Moving a Acer??
« on: April 09, 2009, 20:45 »
I need to move one of my acer's it's beautiful, but getting overcrowded( my own fault).



I asked a chap at the garden centre yesterday and he said if it's got it leaves already, he wouldn't advise it..which it has.

I'm no doubting his advice as such, but I wondered what you all thought?

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Trillium

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2009, 20:49 »
I'm inclined to agree with the other fellow; moving a goodly sized tree at the start of growing season is tricky. But it can be done if necessary. Water the area really really well so that the soil is soaking and do this 2-3 days before digging so the roots can absorb most of the water. Then prepare your new hole, water it really well and dig up the tree and move it. Water is more, fill it in and keep watering through the season unless you get an awful lot of rain. By midseason you should see it recovering but don't stop watering this year.

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sunshineband

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2009, 20:57 »
How big is it Parsnip -- and how far across the branches?
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Parsnip

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2009, 21:01 »
I'm inclined to agree with the other fellow; moving a goodly sized tree at the start of growing season is tricky. But it can be done if necessary. Water the area really really well so that the soil is soaking and do this 2-3 days before digging so the roots can absorb most of the water. Then prepare your new hole, water it really well and dig up the tree and move it. Water is more, fill it in and keep watering through the season unless you get an awful lot of rain. By midseason you should see it recovering but don't stop watering this year.

I had a 100/1 bet with myself you'd be the first to reply...and I won.. :lol:

It's gorgeous it really is, it has green/ yellow leaves with red rims...It doesn't say on the label which one it is ???

I think I'll leave it where it is, I don't want to lose it and maybe cut the other stuff back and move it later, when would you suggest?

thanks Triliium ;)

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Parsnip

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2009, 21:02 »
How big is it Parsnip -- and how far across the branches?

about 4ft high and 3ft wide...the branches on the side thats crowded are tiny though ???

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sunshineband

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2009, 21:14 »
If it's about three feet wide the chances are that that is how far out the roots spread, as usually trees grow their roots out to the edge of their canopy to get the most rainwater. The reason I asked is because the safest way to move it would be to dig a trench all the way around about 18 ins from the trunk, back fill with soil and wait for new white roots to grow into this. This creates a rootball size that you would need to then dig up and move. At this time in the year you might get away with just digging out the rootball aroudn that size as they would recover pretty fast.

As Trillium said, preparing the hole is vital too, and keeping it well watered all summer and autumn until leaf fall would be too. It's quite a big job: Acers do respond well to pruning though.  :)
Sorry it's such a long answer

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Parsnip

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2009, 21:18 »
If it's about three feet wide the chances are that that is how far out the roots spread, as usually trees grow their roots out to the edge of their canopy to get the most rainwater. The reason I asked is because the safest way to move it would be to dig a trench all the way around about 18 ins from the trunk, back fill with soil and wait for new white roots to grow into this. This creates a rootball size that you would need to then dig up and move. At this time in the year you might get away with just digging out the rootball aroudn that size as they would recover pretty fast.

As Trillium said, preparing the hole is vital too, and keeping it well watered all summer and autumn until leaf fall would be too. It's quite a big job: Acers do respond well to pruning though.  :)
Sorry it's such a long answer

Blimey, don't apologise..thanks for helping :D.

We only planted it last year...if that means anything ???

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sunshineband

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2009, 21:24 »
If it's only been there a year then the chnaces are the roots haven't spread more than about six inches past where the rootball was (and you know how big that was)It might be worth an exploratory dig before you decide what to do.
It will be pretty heavy though so don't hurt yourself. Lugging it out onto a piece of old cloth or plastic will make it easier to move: you could pull it along if it's not going too far.

OUr acers are not yet in full leaf, only the folded fan sort of stage and although conventional wisdom is not to move deciduous trees in leaf, it could be OK if you really look after it. OR you could wait until the Autumn and do all this when it has lost it's leaves and in the mean while prune it to be a bit more symmetrical maybe?

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Parsnip

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2009, 21:28 »
I think I'll go with the latter, just spoke to hubby...we don't want to jeopardise it 

(silly how you get attcached to plants isn't it :blush:?) :D

thanks so much both, for you advice... ;)

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sunshineband

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2009, 21:29 »
It's not silly at all  ::)

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Parsnip

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Re: Moving a Acer??
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2009, 21:32 »
It's not silly at all  ::)

I'm just soft... ::)



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