How to Transplant a Jacaranda

Root Pruning

• 1

  Tie low hanging branches up with heavy twine, 1/4-inch rope or burlap strips to keep branches out of the way and prevent branch damage.

• 2

  Mark a circle around the tree where you will dig while root pruning the jacaranda. Allow roughly 10 to 12 inches of root ball diameter for every inch of trunk diameter. For example, if the trunk is 10 inches in diameter mark a circle that is approximately 100 to 120 inches in diameter.

• 3

  Cut a trench around the jacaranda about 2 feet deep using a flat spade facing away from the tree. Cut the tree's roots before replacing the soil and water the jacaranda thoroughly before untying its branches.

Transplanting

• 4

  Water the soil in the tree's planting area a day before you plan to move it. This softens the ground and helps to reduce plant stress.

• 5

  Dig a hole that is about three times as wide and about as deep as the jacaranda's root ball. Mix 2 to 4 inches of compost or other organic materials into the hole and moisten the soil.

• 6

  Mark a new circle around the jacaranda tree that is about 6 inches further out than the root pruning circle to include any roots that have grown since the tree was root pruned. Dig around the plant with a flat spade facing away from the plant, then begin digging at a 45-degree angle to loosen the jacaranda's root ball from underneath. Remove the tree from the ground, wrapping the root ball with burlap to protect it from drying out and cracking.

• 7

  Place the jacaranda in the middle of the new hole. Unwrap the burlap from the root ball, leaving it under the root ball in the hole but removing any supports that secured the burlap.

• 8

  Fill the hole halfway with soil and water the tree thoroughly, adding about 1/2 gallon of water for every square foot of planting space. Once the water is absorbed, finish filling it with soil, tamp it lightly and water it again.

• 9

  Add a 2-to-3-inch layer of mulch to the planting area to conserve soil moisture and discourage weed formation. Water the jacaranda tree regularly, maintaining evenly moist soil for the first several months after transplanting.