Moving plants

[ilovetosleep]

Hi, I'm new to this section (and gardening) and a bit clueless so sorry if this is a stupid question.

We have really narrow borders which we dug and planted in over the last few years, its all a bit of a jumble as we didn't know what to put where/how close/how big things would get. We have decided to dig out the border a bit wider as things are too close togehter but ideally some plants could be moved. Can I do that? Can I do it at this time of year? The plants I'd want to move are (I think) penstemon, 2 different kinds of spirea, lots of lupins that seem to have self seeded, verbena, euphorbia.

Thanks in advance

Barely a day goes by wthout me moving plants. Yes, is the answer. Take as much of the root as you can, dig the hole before you move it if you can, the same size as the clump of roots you are moving, water the hole before you dunk the new plant in, move the plant, shovel the soil around the sides, press it in with your heel and then water in. Try to do it on cooler days rather than blazing hot ones. Water again that evening and the next day. Then leave it to go in search of water itself. Sometimes you need to chop back the foliage if it doesnt pick up after a few days.

Not only can you move them, you can sometimes also divide them to give twice the number of plants! Your penstemons, for instance, would be a good candidate.

A lot of places are really dry at the moment, so give them plenty of water after you've planted them. A bit of compost in the new hole will also be appreciated by them.

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=363

I sometimes use old golf-type umbrellas to shade plants I've moved if the weather gets sunny. Looks a bit stupid for a few days but stops them wilting until they get over the shock and settle in.

Thank you! Am going to give it a go tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Remember, water, water and water some more! Water them before you dig them up, water the hole you're putting them into, water again when they're tucked in. The root hairs which take up water are right at the very ends of the root and more liable to be lost in transplanting, so it's best to be on the cautious side. The best time is really autumn, but sometimes you just can't wait...

If you have a lawn in the middle, I think borders as wide as you can manage, and with sweeping curves rather than straight lines look nice.

We shape ours by laying out a flexible hosepipe, looking at it for a few days to decide if it's what we want, then cutting out with a sharp spade and removing the turf.

If you can, put in manure or other organic matter, or 6X or something similar.

Penstemon, depending on its variety, can be less robust than the others you mention; we have penstemon "Blackbird" which is very strong.

This community garden near Windermere may give you some inspiration:

www.holehirdgardens.org.uk/

I think it depends whether the plants you move will be watered over the summer (July, August) because if you go away on a 2 week summer holiday and there is no rain and they aren't watered then they may not survive if they haven't rooted in properly by the time you go away.
If they are going to be watered then it is fine if not then it may be better to wait till September when plants grow slowly and need less water anyway but the soil is still warm enough for them to be OK when moved.

That's interesting Funny - I only ever water in when transplanting, and again the day after then they are on their own.

Hmmm....interesting. Perhaps I should adopt your approach!

if I move something at this time of year I would also sprinkle some blood fish and bone in the hole to give the roots a good boosts to get going. When I was new to gardening I watched Gardeners World all the time which will show you all the basic skills.

When I move plants I dig up the root ball and then put it in a bucket of water for a good soaking.

I too would sprinkle with fertiliser the new hole before putting in.

Putting fertiliser down in my opinion, discourages plants from putting roots down as soon as it is transplanted as they already have food there whereas I want them to look for their own food as soon as they are in their new home.

The Sophisticated Moln Plant Moving Method

Dig out plant, stick in bucket of water, dig new hole, sprinkle fertilzer in, chuck in a bit of soil, take plant out of water, stick in hole, fill with soil then squash in with wellie around the base.

I probably won't end up with a gardening programme!!

Well I think I have killed a geranium :( I moved it yesterday and I knew when I started digging it was going to be tricky, the roots were all really shallow and spread all over the place. More success with the foxglove and the gaura. Next up, a hebe and a sidalcea. They're both doing really well so I'd be gutted if I kill them too. My geranium was so bouncy before!