Transplanting requires proper timing & technique

Get the beautiful and colorful garden of your dreams

Transplanting garden plants and flowers gives you the freedom to create the garden you've always dreamed of having. Successful transplanting requires proper timing and technique, along with a little patience.

The proper time to transplant

To ensure a safe transplant, plants must be transplanted during the time that they are dormant. During this period of dormancy, plants are, in essence, asleep. The dormant time for plants is generally anytime between autumn's initial hard freeze and the point that new growth begins in spring. You can safely transplant at any time during the dormant phase as long as the soil is not frozen. Attempting to transplant a plant in spring when plants are showing signs of new growth could be too stressful to the plant and it will eventually die.

Keeping the root system intact

Transplanting can sever a substantial portion of the root system, which is dangerously shocking to a plant that isn't dormant. Great care should be taken when transplanting to leave as much of the root system undamaged as possible. This is generally only true, however, of plants growing in the ground. A potted plant can be transplanted any time as long as you can carefully remove it from the container without severing roots.

Getting the plant out of the ground

Before you begin digging, mark the plant on its north side. When you replace the plant in its new location, make sure that this marking is facing north to help the plant adapt more smoothly to its new home.

Carefully dig around the root ball of the plant, taking care to dig a hole deep and wide enough so as to not injure the plant (around 10 inches deep is sufficient for many plants). Gently tip the plant to one side and lift it from the ground, supporting it from the root ball and not the stem. Some plants are easier to move if you gently remove some excess soil from the roots, though evergreen plants recover more successfully when you allow the root system to retain plenty of soil coverage.

Almost finished…

The new hole should be about 50% wider than the root system of the plant you’re putting in it. One common mistake is making a hole that is too deep for the transplanted plant. Ideally, the root collar should not be reburied more than an inch below the soil surface to ensure that the roots receive enough oxygen.

Set the plant in the center of the hole and begin adding soil around the base. Continue to fill the hole around the root ball, stopping occasionally to lightly pack the soil, ensuring the plant is properly supported. For large root systems, add water to the hole when it is about halfway filled. Once the hole is filled and the soil lightly packed, water the plant thoroughly. Plants in well-drained, sandy soil will need more water more often than plants in clay-filled soil.

Transplanting requires proper timing and technique but when done correctly, it will make all the difference in the success of your garden.