Topic: Moving a Holly

[Garden Manager]

I have a 3/4 year old  holly (Golden King), which is basicaly planted in the wrong place. I have found a new site for it and was wonering about the best time/way to move it. It is only about 0.5m height and spread.

Please help

[Hugh_Jones]

Richard, you may remember the old joke about the Irishman who, when asked the way to Dublin, replied "If I wanted to go to Dublin I wouldn`t start out from here".  I`m afraid that much the same considerations apply to moving hollies - there is not best time, only worst times.  Hollies deeply resent being transplanted at all unless they have been container grown.

However, if you are determined you have the choice of either end Septr/early October, or March.  If you plant this autumn the soil will still be comparatively warm and moist and the plant will have the best chance of  settling in and getting its roots working before winter.  If you wait until March you will miss the winter weather but (as with all evergreens) a dry windy spring can wreak havoc and the plant will be dead before its roots can get going.  Personally I would opt for autumn, which is when I have always transplanted any of mine that had to be moved, but in either case make sure that you stake very securely.

[Jesse]

On the subject of holly plants, do they have deep or shallow roots? The reason for my question is that we have a holly bush (about 7 years old) growing in a part of the garden where I now want to create a new border. I don't mind including the holly in the border but am concerned that when I dig around the base of the plant I may damage its roots and cause it to die. The soil is pretty terrible around it so I would need to dig fairly deeply.

[Hugh_Jones]

They can have both.  They always have a mat of shallow (feeding) roots, but most also make deeper tap roots - on my soil they often go down well over 2 feet.

[Garden Manager]

Hugh, many thanks. I had a feeling they were tricky, I tried moving a self grown aquifolium (common green one) once and it died soon after.  I am usually quite confident over moving shrubs, but I had to make sure in this instance.

I will take your advice and wait a couple of weeks and then give it a go with fingers crossed.

Thanks again.

[Doris_Pinks]

Wish I could kill all the self seeding ones around my hedges Richard! ;D  Maybe I should pretend I'm "transplanting" them and that would kill em off! ;D

[Hugh_Jones]

Doris, they`re the easiest ones to transplant provided you are careful.  My wife goes round the garden every year digging up all the little ones and potting them up and when they`ve grown a bit they go to the local charity plant sales.

[Doris_Pinks]

Good idea that Hugh :)

[busy_lizzie]

I have a very small holly bush growing in the very shaded part of my garden.  I planted it about 4 years ago and it has never done very well or grown very much. I wondered if I should transplant mine now to see if is happier in another place and might grow a bit more.  Any ideas?  :) busy_lizzie  

[Hugh_Jones]

Hollies do perfectly well in quite deep woodland shade, although they don`t berry so well.  However, they can take some time to get going after you plant them.  As long as the soil is o.k. I should give it a bit longer where it is.

[Kerry]

hi,
just to completely play the devil's advocate, thought I would share my tale of holly moving.
I found one in a somewhat overgrown and overshadowed border when we moved in here, and transplanted it to a lightly shaded area of the garden, I think it was sometime in autumn. It sulked markedly for a year but is going great guns almost 3 years on. I was very happy to see new shoots and bright foliage, and this year it has berries for the first time, it too is golden king. I gave it water by the bucket until I confess i got fed up of that! but the soil was well prepared. I was prepared to give it a go as i thought I had nothing to lose-didn't want it where it was, so... :)

[Hugh_Jones]

I`m not quite sure where the devil`s advocacy comes in, but we all have our successes.   I moved a 7ft high Acer Palmatum during the June heatwave (had no option), and it`s never looked back, but I would certainly not regard that as sensible gardening practice or advise anyone else to do it - it was just luck and a `one off`

[Garden Manager]

I would tend to agree, Hugh. Whilst it is usualy best to follow or at least pay lip service to the advice of professionals/experinced hands, sometimes you can get away with breaking such 'rules'.  I have quite a few times moved plants that shouldnt be moved or are supposed to resent moving, and the plants have not only survived but often thrived for the move (plants such as cistus and ceonothus immediately spring to mind).  Likewise i have moved things at the wrong time, through lack of choice, and again the plants have been OK.

Luck of course has a lot to do with it.

[Garden Manager]

Just an update: the Holly is doing fine in its new home, thanks to carefull protecting from winter weather etc with a fleece windbreak. I have since moved another young holly plant in exactly the same way (back in the autumn of course) This one too is looking fine.

[busy_lizzie]

Going back to my previous post Richard, my holly bush is still in it's shady sheltered area and has scarcely grown anymore, so your new post has made me think that perhaps I should take the plunge now and try it somewhere else too.  I wondered whether it was because there are several trees growing in that area and they may be keeping it back. Anyway worth a try when the time is appopriate.  busy_lizzie

[Robert_Brenchley]

It sounds as though the trees may have become overcrowded. The best time to move it is likely to be autumn, though I'm sure you could still do it now. Take as big a rootball as you can, and water copiously all through the growing season.

[busy_lizzie]

Thanks Robert, that is very helpful!  :) busy_lizzie

[Garden Manager]

This was the problem with my other Holly (the one I have just moved). It was planted in a shrub border and all the other shrubs grew faster than the poor holly and nearly buried it!

Move in Mid Autumn (October). Dig it up with as big a root ball as you can and make the time out of the ground as short as possible (dig the new planting hole first). Firm and water in well. Give it a good mulch of compost or leaf mould before constructing a fleece (or fine netting) windbreak to reduce moisture loss and water in dry spells. Once the weather warms up in spring it should be safe enough to remove the windbreak

This photo shows my holly with its windbreak

[grawrc]

Thank you for this thread Garden Cadet and thank you all for all the posts. I have a holly to move and your advice has been really helpful. :)

[Garden Manager]

Thank you for this thread Garden Cadet and thank you all for all the posts. I have a holly to move and your advice has been really helpful. :)

I appreciate that grawrc. I hope it goes well. Just remember one thing: Never let the plant dry out before it gets established in its new home. Biggest killer for any evergreen is drought.