Whether you are just bored of your garden layout, moving them to another garden all together or simply think they will do better elsewhere sometimes plants have to be moved and if like me you get particularly attached to them buying brand new ones does not seem right when the ones you already have are perfectly good.
Here's a quick guide on how to move them and the things to avoid when doing so.
Shrubs.
Shrubs can be moved at nearly any time of year if they are established but to have the best success you should move them in their dormant time. So at the start of Spring or Autumn is the ideal.
There are certain shrubs that are troublesome to move Peonies and Magnolias are notoriously sensitive to being moved and the older the plant the more difficult it is to move. If you really must move one of these it is best to do a little preparation work such as pruning it back early in the year and creating a wider root ball than needed.
With most shrubs the steps to take are fairly universal. First prepare where you are moving it to by digging a hole slightly larger than you will need and work in some manure, it's important to work it in well so that it isn't too concentrated and won't burn the roots.
Water your shrub well the day before you are planning on lifting it, this will soften the ground and make it easier to dig out.
When digging it up you want to work in a circle at least .5 to 1ft away from the plant depending on the size, carefully avoiding any of the larger roots. Take as much of the soil surrounding the roots as you can as this will provide protection and lessens the shock of its new home.
Move the whole lot straight to its new position, be careful not to hurt you back as they can be extremely heavy, if you have a trolley or a barrow use them!
Once in it's new position fill in around it and tamp down firmly. Water well in it's first few weeks while it establishes itself.
If you get some drooping or yellowing of the leaf don't worry, it is quite normal for it to be a little stressed in the first year, especially the older shrubs.
Perennials.
Moving perennials is thankfully a much easier and lighter task. Their root systems aren't as deep and they take a lot more punishment than the shrubs. Once again you need to prepare the area you are moving it to in much the same way although you will not need as much manure and can substitute around a half of it with compost.
Use a fork to loosen the soil and gently lift the plant out of place. Remove as much soil from the roots by gently shaking against the ground. If you are just dividing the plant place two forks back to back down the centre of the plant and lever them against each other, this method is really only for larger plants as you can do the smaller ones quite easily by hand.
Place them in their new area and water in well.
Finally, with both Shrubs and Perennial moving it's important to make sure they are disease free. If a shrub looks like it is struggling in an area check first that it is definitely the environment and not something such as Vine weevil which you could accidentally end up spreading to another area of the garden.
Happy Planting :)
