When to Move a Gooseneck Plant

Reasons for Transplanting

• If your gooseneck plant is not growing well, moving it to a new location where the growing conditions are better suited can revive the plant. Gooseneck plants need damp soil and full sun to part shade. Planted in dry, rocky soil or deep shade will result in lack of vigor. In the right environment, however, this plant can grow aggressively and encroach on other plants. You can move the whole plant to an area where it won't take over. Alternately, you can dig up parts of the plant that are growing beyond the desired area and move them to a new spot in the garden.

Spring and Fall

• Spring and fall, when the weather is cool and damp, is the best time to transplant perennials. During transplanting, some root mass is lost, limiting the plants ability to absorb moisture and nutrients effectively until the roots regrow. The mild weather and natural moisture levels in the air and the soil cause the least stress during transplanting, and, by transplanting during the plants dormancy period, you reduces overall stress on the plant. In mild climates, you can transplant gooseneck plants and other perennials through the winter.

Summer Transplanting

• Avoid transplanting gooseneck plants in summer when possible. Often high air temperatures and low rainfall increase stress on plants as they recover from transplanting. Sometimes the garden can't wait for ideal conditions, so if you have to move a gooseneck plant in the middle of summer, limit stress as much as possible by waiting until a cool, overcast day or transplanting early in the morning or late in the evening.

Digging Out the Root Ball

• Prepare the gooseneck plant for the move by soaking the soil until it is thoroughly damp one day in advance. When digging out the plant, place the shovel on the drip line, the area under the outermost leaves of the plant. Dig down at least 12 inches deep to get as much of the root ball as possible. Lift the root ball from the soil using the shovel. During the transplanting process, handle the gooseneck plant by the root ball rather than the stalks to minimize damage.

Replanting

• Replant right away to the new location. Dig out the planting hole the same depth as the rootball so that when you replant, the gooseneck plant will be the same depth in its new location as it was in the original spot. Follow up with water. As you refill the planting hole, add water as you go to keep the area moist. After replacing the soil, add more water until the soil is evenly damp to the outside of the planting hole.

Care

• Follow up with plenty of water, especially if you transplant in summer. Soak the soil when the top 2 to 3 inches start to dry out. When watering, soak the soil 12 inches deep. To help conserve moisture during dry weather, spread a 2- to 4-inch deep layer of mulch around the base of the plant. If you can't replant right away, wrap the root ball in burlap and keep it damp in a cool, shady spot.