Can You Transplant Nandina or False Bamboo?

Planning the Move

• False bamboo is a slow-to-moderate grower, adding about 1 or 2 feet to its height each year and becoming about 6 to 10 feet tall at maturity. If you decide to relocate a specimen, choosing the right time for transplanting can help ensure success. The best time is in late winter or early spring, at the end of the plant's dormant period or just as it begins its new growth. If this timing isn't feasible, the next best choice is in late summer or early fall. This schedule allows the plant to establish new roots before it becomes dormant during winter. Avoid transplanting during the hot months of summer, which can overly stress the plant after the move.

Lifting the Plant

• It's critical to minimize damage to a plant's roots during the transplant process. First, water the plant well several days in advance. If only a year or two have passed since its original planting, use a sharp spade to cut straight down into the soil in a circle that's about 12 or 18 inches outside the original planting hole. For a larger specimen, dig a 1- to 2-foot deep, circular trench around the root zone that's about 1 foot wider than the plant's overall diameter. Next, slip the spade under the plant's roots, loosening them gently and cutting any large roots with a sharp knife or pruners. Lift the plant onto a large piece of burlap or plastic, using the material to wrap and protect the root ball.

Making the Move

• Remove any weeds, grass or unwanted plants from the new site and turn the soil well to loosen it and mix any soil layers. If your soil is poor in organic matter, add compost before planting, and if it contains clay and drains slowly, mix in some coarse sand, making these amendments about one week before planting. When ready to transplant, dig a hole that's about twice the diameter of the plant's root ball, remove the root-ball covering and set the false bamboo plant into the new hole at the same depth as it was in its original spot. Backfill the hole with soil, tamp the soil down gently and flood the plant with water to eliminate air pockets around its roots.

Giving After-Care

• Adding a layer of organic mulch around the transplanted shrub helps conserve soil moisture and keeps down weeds, but keep mulch back a bit from the plant's center to discourage fungal problems. Water the plant well and often to encourage new root growth. If you planted during the growing season, delay any pruning until the plant becomes dormant, allowing new growth to develop and sustain the plant.

  False bamboo grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, where it thrives in either full sun or partial shade. Several cultivars are available, including dwarf varieties, such as "Compacta Nana," which is 3 or 4 feet tall, and "Harbor Dwarf," which is only 2 feet tall.