Gardening: Early spring means shrubs must be moved soon

This is one of the earliest springs I can remember in the Inland Northwest and I’ve been here almost 40 years. Forsythias are blooming a month early and there are swelling buds on a lot of other plants.

This means we need to get any dormant shrubs moved quickly before they leaf out. Dormancy means the shrub is not using any resources right now so moving them won’t disrupt their spring growth.

Small deciduous shrubs are fairly easy to move. First do a little research on how sensitive your shrub is to moving. If it is, you may have to leave it be or just take your chances. Prepare your new planting hole first by digging out a dish-shaped hole as deep as you figure the root ball will be. Make the hole a couple times wider than your root ball. Estimates here are fine because you can adjust the hole later. If the soil is dry, fill the hole with water and let it soak in while you dig the shrub. If it is dry, also water the shrub you are moving; it will be easier to dig.

Clear out debris under the shrub and trim back any branches that will get in the way of the shovel. Measure out a foot from the stem and begin digging by inserting the shovel straight down. Work your way around the plant. You will probably run into some roots as you go. These can be cut with some pruners if the shovel won’t break them. Once you’ve gone around once, insert the shovel and gently pull back on it to begin breaking loose the root ball. Loosen it all the way around, cutting the last roots that are holding it to the ground. Try to keep the ball of soil together.

Gently carry the shrub to its new hole and set it level with the ground. If the root ball isn’t at soil level, dig the hole a little deeper. Backfill with the native soil you took out of the hole and water the plant in well. This helps pack the soil around all the roots so the plant can easily draw the water it needs.

If you need to move a large shrub, the process is basically the same. You will have to dig a bigger root ball, so having some help is a good idea. Large root balls can be placed on a tarp and then dragged to the new planting site. If the shrub is tall, you can cut it back to 3 or 4 feet, if needed. The plant will send out new leaves along the stem when it comes out of dormancy.

Rhododendrons are a slight exception to this method. They need to be moved just as the plant finishes blooming but before the new growth comes out. Rhododendron roots are fine and shallow so start a couple of feet out and dig gently. Reset the plant at the same level and water well through the summer.

Pat Munts is the co-author of “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook” with Susan Mulvihill. Munts can be reached at pat@inland nwgardening.com.