Can I move a maple to the ground now?

[remist17]

I have three maples that are currently in the ground and I would like to move them to another location in the ground. Is it ok to move them now?

I also have three mulberries that I would like to move but they are about 4 feet tall.

 

[JudyB]

How long have they been in the ground? If only for a short time, and you can dig a big way around them, so as not to rip out the roots, and can replant them the same way, I would say yes. If they are established in the ground, then I think that would be doing too much rootwork at the wrong season. Wait till late winter...like you would on a collection tree, if you can.

 

[GrimLore]

I agree with Judy 100 percent. I moved Mulberry a few times when not dormant and they lived but protested a LOT. Maples do a LITTLE better but not much be honest.

Grimmy

 

[coh]

I would agree with Judy. It's one thing to plant a tree into the ground in the fall if it was established in a pot, it's another to dig it up and damage the root system. Of course, you have 3 of them...you could always try one as a test but I wouldn't risk all of them.

Mulberries are supposedly pretty tough. I had one that got damaged (basically ripped out of the ground with no fibrous roots) last October during yard work. I replanted it and it came back pretty strongly this summer. Again, though, I wouldn't recommend that approach and would wait till spring if I could.

Chris

 

[Dav4]

I would respectfully disagree with the previous posters and suggest that fall is THE best time to plant or transplant trees, shrubs, perennials, etc. The soil is warm, the air is cool, and roots are growing and transplant easily this time of year. You have a much better chance of establishing a plant with fall planting or transplanting then spring planting, when summer heat and drought stress are potentially right around the corner.

 

[GrimLore]

I would respectfully disagree with the previous posters and suggest that fall is THE best time to plant or transplant trees, shrubs, perennials, etc. The soil is warm, the air is cool, and roots are growing and transplant easily this time of year. You have a much better chance of establishing a plant with fall planting or transplanting then spring planting, when summer heat and drought stress are potentially right around the corner.

It is nowhere near cold enough in this area to consider the trees being Fall Dormant. It would be ok perhaps in December here. And even then there is a fair chance the trees will still be sporting some foliage. On January 14th 2013 the lawn needed cutting at my place We are North East BUT the Pocono Mountains AND the Jersey Shore make our weather a bit "different" I am Certain Judy knows this because of her post.

Grimmy

 

[coh]

It may be region dependent. Georgia has very mild winters (compare to here) and very hot summers. So down there, the stress period is summer, meaning it might be better to transplant in fall. Up here, the stress period is winter. I've almost never lost a tree or shrub that I've dug and replanted in the early spring.

Pennsylvania is an in between climate, so perhaps either season could work.

Chris

 

[Dav4]

It is nowhere near cold enough in this area to consider the trees being Fall Dormant. It would be ok perhaps in December here. And even then there is a fair chance the trees will still be sporting some foliage. On January 14th 2013 the lawn needed cutting at my place We are North East BUT the Pocono Mountains AND the Jersey Shore make our weather a bit "different" I am Certain Judy knows this because of her post.

Grimmy

It may be region dependent. Georgia has very mild winters (compare to here) and very hot summers. So down there, the stress period is summer, meaning it might be better to transplant in fall. Up here, the stress period is winter. I've almost never lost a tree or shrub that I've dug and replanted in the early spring.

Pennsylvania is an in between climate, so perhaps either season could work.

Chris

I did fall transplanting routinely for over a decade in SE MA- USDA zone 6, and I would never make this assertion without being quite sure. Even in cold regions fall is the preferred period for transplanting, particularly for deciduous trees. Believe it or not, your summer is almost as hot and dry as ours are down here, and the heat and drought of summer are more significant stressors to an active tree then winter cold is to a dormant tree. Fwiw, you want to get it into the ground at least 6 weeks prior to the ground freezing.

...and foliage being present or absent doesn't change timing...now is perfect.

 

[lordy]

I would respectfully disagree with the previous posters and suggest that fall is THE best time to plant or transplant trees, shrubs, perennials, etc. The soil is warm, the air is cool, and roots are growing and transplant easily this time of year. You have a much better chance of establishing a plant with fall planting or transplanting then spring planting, when summer heat and drought stress are potentially right around the corner.

I would agree with DAV4 in that we are talking about putting the trees into the ground, not pots. The earth does a lot of temp and moisture moderation, so while the canopy is not putting a lot of pressure on the tree, the roots have a chance to regroup and take hold. I'm not all that far removed from the original poster geographically speaking, and in my world, Fall has historically been the time to plant landscape material.

 

[remist17]

Everyone thank you for posting. The maples have been in the ground for one season. I thought it would be a good spot for them, but was wrong. Too much sun not enough water. I am moving them closer to the current benches I have so I can keep an eye on them better for water.

The mulberry I have had in there for two years and is over 4 or 5 feet tall. I was planning on moving them in the spring after I cut most of the trunk down. Both of the mulberry's are aver 2 inch trunks. The maples at best are 28 to 30 inches tall and maybe 3/4" trunks.

 

[coh]

Fair enough. I'm on the zone 6a/6b border (due to proximity to Lake Ontario) and I have had great success with spring transplanting. I haven't done much in the fall so I don't really have a good point of comparison but I don't feel comfortable doing that kind of work in the fall. If I were the original poster, I'd try one or two this fall and see what happens.

One thing to remember - zone values are not absolute. They are primarily based on the typical lowest temperature recorded during a winter. It doesn't tell anything about the overall average temperature, or the amount of wind, snow, etc. I'd invite anyone living in zone 6 southeastern Massachusetts or southern Pennsylvania to spend a winter in my zone 6 near Rochester. They are very different.

Chris

 

[GrimLore]

They are very different.

Chris

Thank you! I have lived for many years in the Buffalo New York area and have spent a lot of time in Upstate NY. Also spent a lot of years in the Chautauqua Lake Region. This portion of Pennsylvania is Far different in climate although not a long drive. As I mentioned earlier proximity to the Ocean and a Mountain Range makes it a much "different" 6 or 6b.

Grimmy

 

[JudyB]

I do agree that fall is the best planting time. I've planted roughly 800 trees ( container grown, whips, and b&b) over the past 30 or so years, most in the fall. However, I think there is a big difference between planting a tree, and digging up an established tree and replanting it, in cold winter areas. I think as long as its not super established then it would be fine to do it now. But if you are talking about cutting all the roots of a tree that may not have any small feeder roots near enough to get many when digging, then it would be best to do the trenching method for fall and dig the following year. Not to say you may have good success, doing it all in one dig, I just feel that it's safer with the other method.

And yes, I believe it is very dependent on your individual climate where you are.

 

[GrimLore]

And yes, I believe it is very dependent on your individual climate where you are.

Thank you and as we are moving I have "trench/chopped" a significant amount of root from trees and a rose and they never "blinked" in preparation to dig them later this season and move to the new place. It was in my opinion not the best thing to do here but it works well so far. As far as Maple and Mulberry here I would not think twice on any Maple and I have always found Mulberry to be far more "picky"

Grimmy