How to Transplant a Carolina Jessamine

Transplanting a Potted Plant

• 1

  Choose a location in full sun. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the pot and 3 inches deeper. Add 3 inches of compost or manure to the bottom of the hole. Fill the hole with water and allow it to soak into the soil.

• 2

  Remove the plant from the pot and loosen the roots. If it is root bound, cut slashes down four sides of the root ball with a sharp knife so roots can spread.

• 3

  Place the plant into the hole, making sure the top of the root ball is level with the top of the soil. Add the soil back into the hole and tamp down well.

• 4

  Sprinkle a cup of Epsom salt around the root ball and water the jessamine plant thoroughly. Water every other day for two weeks, twice a week for two weeks, and once a week thereafter if there is not an inch of rain.

Moving an Existing Plant

• 5

  Move your Carolina jessamine in late winter while it is still dormant. Choose a new location that mimics the conditions of the old location as nearly as possible. This will give the plant a better chance of survival. Cut back the vines to roughly 12 inches with loppers.

• 6

  Dig an 18-inch-deep trench 12 inches out from the trunk with a sharp spade. Dig inward from the trench, getting as much of the root ball as you can. Use a mattock if necessary to cut larger roots.

• 7

  Place the burlap under the root ball and lift the plant out of the hole. Tie the burlap at the top of the root ball with jute or cotton string. Move the plant to its new location.

• 8

  Dig a hole twice the diameter of the root ball and 3 inches deeper. Place the base soil and topsoil in different piles. Fill the hole with water and allow to sink into the soil.

• 9

  Slit the burlap from top to bottom on four sides, but do not untie or remove it. Place the plant into the hole and refill the hole with water. Begin refilling the hole with soil, base soil first, top soil on top. Use the handle end of the shovel to poke several holes around the plant to ensure there are no air pockets. Tamp down the soil firmly with your feet.

• 10

  Sprinkle 1 cup of Epsom salt around the plant and water in well to help roots establish. Water every other day for two weeks, then twice a week for two weeks. Fertilize after 4 weeks with a low-nitrogen balanced fertilizer, such as 6-6-6 or 8-8-8. Water weekly thereafter if there is not an inch of rain.