Topic: Late movement of fruit bushes

[thexman]

Tomorrow, I am going to attempt to move some fruit bushes from one end of the county, where my former allotment was, to my new one. It is late in the season, I know, but I have had no other opportunity. Do you think I will get any jostaberries, black currants and gooseberries this year if I transplant, or will I have to wait until next year?

I'm also going to try and move three globe artichokes and some very mature asparagus plants; I don't mind if these die, but I have had success in moving these before in the past and even picked asparagus in the same year.

I wonder if I will get lucky again. What do you think?

[Digeroo]

I think I would remove the fruit the first year.

Someone on our site moved some gooseberries very late and they have done very well.  Do check the blackcurrants very carefully, someone brought big bug onto our site.

I would also put in some cuttings to root as an insurance policy.

[sunloving]

Good luck with the move, I'd say if they are only in bud then they probably won't notice unless you have to seriously hack away roots. But if they are in leaf the flower buds may suffer a bit.

They are tough things though and I'm sure all will be well!

I've moved many things people say shouldn't be yews, peonies and things in summer. So long as you treat them well on arrival woody plant tend to try hard to liv!

[Deb P]

I moved three mature artichoke plants I had grown from seed from one plot to another last year when I gave up my second plot, all three have sprouted new shoots and look happy in their deeply mulched bed so hopefully yours will be happy too!

[Hector]

Good luck. Watching replies with interest as in similar position...debating about moving rhubarb that's just starting to sprout now or later.

[Deb P]

Rhubarb is pretty indestructible, I've had bits sprout I chopped up with a spade and left overwinter on top of the soil sprout and grow on, I wouldn't worry about moving it at all.

[Hector]

Deb, thank you :)

[ancellsfarmer]

Would suggest you "rootball" them. IE take a spade around them about 10" radius, strait in to max depth. Then lever the whole lump up and cut any tap roots.Wrap in sacking or an old sheet. Tie in tightly. Lift and transport. Keep moist until you can plant into a hole at least that big, add bonemeal and back fill tightly. Keep watered until nature takes over. This is standard nursery practice for specimen trees and hedging.If they produce fruit, use it.

[thexman]

Well, I moved them, although couldn't get quite as many things out as I wanted. It is amazing how long all of this takes.

The asparagus crowns looked very healthy, and had to be hacked out with a mattock, so vast had they become!

I did the lever trick with the currant bush and my Pax gooseberry and recovered them with a rootball. I'm going to bet that they are all right and will keep any fruit that they produce.

The globe artichokes were more difficult. Due to shortage of time, I only managed to get one, which had lots of leaf, but a large tap root.

They all went into beds/holes filled with some fantastic rotted manure and sharp sand to help with drainage.

As for rhubarb, I think Gerry Anderson modelled Capt Scarlet on it; it is indestructructable. I moved part of a crown a couple of weeks ago and I already have three rather large sticks growing merrily away.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I moved my rhubarb a few weeks ago, and it's growing away as though nothing had happened. If you're moving fruit bushes, take as big a rootball as you can, and cut them back drastically. That way there won't be so much leaf area to lose water through while they're re-establishing their roots.

[sparrow]

The RHS said yesterday that the cold spring means transplanting should still be fine - at least that they are still doing it on a huge scale in most of their gardens. So you're in good company.

I've just shifted 2 gooseberry bushes, but I have had to bare-root them as I don't want to transport the horsetail that's in that bed. They have beautiful roots. Next up is the apple tree, also to be bare-rooted and with all my fingers crossed that I won't kill it in the process!

[thexman]

Wow! Moving an apple tree is brave.

I've had to leave three behind. They're simply too established to be moved, but I've brought three more to take their place  as well as two pear trees.

But it is good to know the RHS is still out there transplanting; if they're doing it, I feel much more confident, although I am planning just one more raid this year to rescue a jostaberry and possible another gooseberry that I couldn't manage last time around. The limiting factor at this end is getting the soil ready in time!

[sparrow]

Thanks! Brave or really daft! It had only been in a couple of years, in boggy ground and on dwarfing rootstock - do it didn't seem too established. It took an hour to dig up, clean and pot up. I really hope I haven't killed it, but if I'm to get on top of the recent horsetail invasion that bed needs to be cleared completely.

I've potted it into a 40L spud bag of compost with bonemeal and growmore & tied it to the munty frame for stability. Fingers crossed.

Can you pot up the bushes temporarily till you have space for them? That's what I am doing with all mine. I did it last year with other fruit and nothing has died so far.

[johhnyco15]

Thanks! Brave or really daft! It had only been in a couple of years, in boggy ground and on dwarfing rootstock - do it didn't seem too established. It took an hour to dig up, clean and pot up. I really hope I haven't killed it, but if I'm to get on top of the recent horsetail invasion that bed needs to be cleared completely.

I've potted it into a 40L spud bag of compost with bonemeal and growmore & tied it to the munty frame for stability. Fingers crossed.

Can you pot up the bushes temporarily till you have space for them? That's what I am doing with all mine. I did it last year with other fruit and nothing has died so far.

im sure it will be fine just dont let it get waterlogged or dry out  hope this helps