The Garden

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 463, 16 April 1890, Page 5

The Garden

(By HORTIS.) Moving Large Evergreen Shrubs. On nearly every place of any importance there is almost every year , a few large shrub 3 that it may from a variety of circumstances be advisable to move to other situations. Now is the best time of the year to do it. At this period the soil has been co®led by the very plentiful rains which we have obtained, and any evergreens moved now will scon get established in their new quarters. The bes t way to go to work is first of all to get a large hole dug where the plant is to be placed. The hole should at least be two feet more in diameter than the ball of the plant that is to be moved. The hole should also be at least from six inches to a foot deeper. After tho hole is dug then begin to dig a trench all round the plant that is to be moved, taking care to leave as large a ball of earth as possible attached to the roots. Whenever the trench round the plant is of sufficient depth to allow of getting under the 1 main body of the roots, begin to undermine the plant, taking care net to split or break the ball of earth attached to the roots. It will also be advisable to pare off a little of thesurfacesoil,as thereare very seldom many roots within a few inches of the top, and this loose soil sometimes will cause the ball of earth to break by its weight. After this is done try and gently heel the ball over on its side, cutting all the roots underneath. When this is done place the plant on a hand-barrow, and move to tho side of the

prepared position. Into the newly-du,g hole place some good soil just sufficient to allow the ball of earth to stand at a proper height. This soil in the bottom should be trodden down firmly. The plant can then be placed in position, and fill up the rest of the hole, taking care to place good soil immediately beside the roots. W hen this is completed sufficient water should be given so as to thoroughly saturate the ball and surrounding loose soil. Afterwards the plant should be allowed to stand for a few days to settle, and then it should .be firmly staked to prevent it from being waved backwards and forwards with the wind, as this spoils many a good plant. The effect of moving evergreen plants early will be to check any upward movement of sop, which will at once begin, to descend the tree so as to repair what damage has been done to the roots. Thus within a week or so after the plant has been moved root action in numbers of little fibres will at once spring out from the cut parts of the roots. These will at Once take liold on the new soil, thus * getting well established before the winter sets in. When the spring arrives a few of the branches should be thinned out so as to better balance the root and leaf. As the growing season comes on the plant should break away into strong growth the same as if it had never been moved. Although I advise this course where only a few plants aro to be moved, I would never advise on a largo scale, as the trouble and expense would be too great, especially the question of perhaps getting and carrying of. water. The plants which this treatment suits will be camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, laurels, conifer*, etc. A good number of deciduous trees will also succeed well if moved towards the end of this month, especially if the soil will keep cool and moist.