Hello,-
Last week I transplanted a small tree that was quite well established (3 years), to a new position in the yard. I have kept it well watered, but since transplanting, the leaves have started to brown and become wilted. Has the stress of the move killed my tree? Is there anything else I can do, is it possible that it will recover over time?
Thanks Richard
There are many practical reasons for transplanting plants and flowers to another area of the garden. Common reasons include moving house (you might not want to leave a favorite plant behind) or redesigning your garden, transplanting to alleviate crowding or transferring from pots to the garden. In a home garden you can easily transplant most small plants and trees yourself as long as you follow a few basic steps to ensure the health and vitality of the plant, both before, during and after the transplantation.
If the plant is already in the ground you should water it for the preceding three days, and then immediately prior to the undertaking the transplant. It also helps if you give the foliage a light trim, to reduce transpiration, (loss of moisture through the foliage). This insures that the whole plant will be hydrated, leaves and all, when it’s time to transplant. If you are transplanting from a pot to the garden then you don’t need to trim the foliage and you probably only need to water the day before and once again immediately before you transplant.
Best time to transplant is prior to rainy weather, but you could be waiting weeks, so the next best time is to transplant is when it is cloudy. However, sometimes you have no choice but to move your plants during the hot periods, if so, do so during the cooler evening hours. Definitely don’t undertake a transplant on a very hot day at midday, your chances of success will diminish rapidly. The heat stress and loss of moisture could kill your plant.
You must transplant the roots with the soil still intact (known as the root ball). Soaking the plant two days prior to digging or removing from the pot will keep this root ball intact during the process. Dig a trench around the plant, as big as is practical, to the diameter and depth of the root ball that is going to be moved. A good planting hole is dish shaped, at least two times the width of the plant’s existing root ball. Its depth should never exceed the depth of the existing root ball. In the planting hole loosen the soil below with a fork to encourage root growth, but don’t dig it out, and don’t fertilise the planting hole either.
Water the hole before you place the transplant into it. Be sure that the top of the transplant is not below the level of the surrounding soil as this can lead to disease. Proceed to fill the hole with soil halfway. Follow this with a drenching of water. Allow the water to settle the soil around the roots and then finish filling the hole. Once again, drench the whole plant, leaves and all.
It is important to take a transplant to its desired position immediately. It is not good to dig out a plant and then leave it exposed out of the soil for any period of time. It should be straight from one hole to another as soon as possible. Transplant shock is trauma experienced by the plant as a result of the transplanting process. To minimize shock don’t expose the roots longer than necessary and make sure the roots are never dry. Never leave the roots exposed to sun, heat or wind. Exposed roots are fragile and are easily damaged. It is most important that you keep as much soil as possible attached to the root ball of the plant. If transplanting from pots to the garden, remove just prior to planting, and plant direct to the garden. If you are moving a plant to another location or cannot perform the transplant immediately then wrap the root ball, and keep wet to prevent drying and loss of soil until it is ready for its new site.
If possible, shield the new transplant from direct sunlight for 7-10 days. My favorite technique for transplanting small trees is to use an old sheet. If it is dry sunny weather cover the plant with the sheet, this will create humidity, the plant will retain moisture, and less moisture will be lost due to a lower transpiration rate. This technique in fact is good for any tree that is dry or heat stressed. If the plant has been moved from a shady spot into sun, shelter it initially with cloth while hardening it up to its new conditions. Moving a plant from a shady spot to a sunny spot is a bit like the effect when visitors from cold climates come to Bali. They will be heat stressed, become dehydrated easily, and will need some time to acclimatize to weather.
In response to the question, you must be vigilant so that you can recover a wilted stressed plant. Once transplanted, it is most important to keep the plant well watered. Check the plant daily for the first couple of weeks. Transplants will need watering every day, do this early morning and early evening, and absolutely drench the plant for the first week. The larger the plant, the more water will be needed. To retain water and reduce stress, cover the plant with a cloth from mid morning to late afternoon.
Watering during the establishment period of the tree is the single most important success factor. With limited roots, the tree cannot be allowed to dry out. This applies to all species, including drought resistant ones. They will be drought resistant only after their roots are well established. Do not fertilise a tree at planting time. Instead, water it well until you see signs of shoot growth. Then you can fertilise. Remember that after fertilizing, a plant will become more water thirsty. The shock of being transplanted is stressful to plants at anytime, and in the heat of Bali extra precaution is vital to easing the transition for your plants.
If you have any gardening problems please send me an email.
