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To lift or not

keeleykinskeeleykins Posts: 14
in Problem solving

Hi, just wondering is it ok to dig out a berbris now as it has gotten too large for where it is and i have a place out in my front garden  which would be fine. So could I do it now or wait a while, all advice welcome.

Thanks.

Posts

  • Gary HobsonGary Hobson Posts: 1,892

    I have transplanted a large berberis, and I found it difficult. Simply tryiing to dig up a 'rootball' doesn't really work, because the roots don't naturally form a ball. Mine had long deep roots, several feet long, somewhat like a rose. The plant needed a lot of TLC for several months. The plant did survive.

    If yours was bought in a container, and had constrained roots, in a ball, then it might be easier.

    The leaves of berberis are holly-like, so the plant doesn't tend to wilt like most plants, and doesn't respond to watering in the same way. That just makes post-translant care more tricky.

    If we should turn out to have a spell of hot weather, then now would not be a good time.

    That's just my experience.

  • Alina WAlina W Posts: 1,445

    I would definitely wait, too - I moved one at this time of year once, and it didn't survive.

  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 17,944

    Me too.  The best time to move things is autumn when most plants go dormant and thus suffer less shock from being moved.   It will also help to prune some of the top growth so the roots have less work to do maintaining the plant above soil and can concentrate on re-establishing themselves for a healthy future. 

    Make sure the root ball is well watered before digging it out and that the new hole is ready for it to go into without it hanging around and risking drying out precious roots.  Add some bonemeal and some Rootgrow to the new hole to encourage new root growth.  Water well.

    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • jo4eyesjo4eyes Posts: 2,032

    If you cant wait until the autumn to do the moving you could do some pruning of the evergreen types now. They would cope well doing a hard prune now, giving time for the new stems to harden up before the colder weather.

    The deciduous types respond well, ie survive, after a Winter pruning. So that's  another option. J.

  • keeleykinskeeleykins Posts: 14

    Thanks to all for the very informative advice, i will wait untill Autumn. I don,t know

    which berberis it is, not looking forward to moving it as it just loves to Stab me if i

    even look at it image

  • Tim BurrTim Burr Posts: 422
    Great plants, but not particularly gardener friendly! Just like pyracantha which jumps out from the border with those deadly needles! I moved into a house once where the previous owner worked for the local authority. I'm sure he acquired a few of the council's parks and garden surplus' because it was full of berberis and pyracantha which councils like because they are less likely to be abused by the kids and ne'er-do-wells ripping them up or running thru' them. In the end I was so sick to death of being pricked, I hacked them all down to an inch of their life. Needless to say they were back to full strength within 2 years!!
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