How to Remove a Shrub and Not Kill the Root Ball

Preparing to Transplant

• 1

  Prune the roots of the shrub to be transplanted about six months before the move. Use a pointed shovel to slice through the lateral roots of the plant in a circle around the trunk. A 6-foot tall shrub needs to be moved with a root ball about 20 inches in diameter, while a 3-foot shrub needs its roots cut in a circle 14 inches in diameter. Thoroughly wet the soil around the base of the shrub before pruning the roots so the shovel can easily penetrate the ground. To avoid harming the plant, do this in fall after the leaves have dropped or in early spring before the buds begin swell. After the roots are pruned, the shrub will concentrate root growth inside the root ball, giving transplantation a much greater chance of success.

• 2

  Prune the top of the plant just before transplanting, cutting back the outer 30 percent of the shrub. Reducing the amount of foliage makes it easier for the transplanted root ball to support the growth of the plant. If you pruned the roots in the fall, transplant the shrub in early spring. If you pruned the roots in early spring, transplant in fall. The likelihood of killing the root ball is very high if you attempt transplanting in summer.

• 3

  Water the soil around the shrub to be moved to make it easier to dig the day before transplanting, as well as the soil in the new location. Dig a hole in the new location before removing the shrub, so that is can be transplanted immediately. Make the hole twice as wide as the diameter of the root ball that will be transplanted and to the same depth. The depth for a 3-foot-tall shrub should be about 9 inches, or 14 inches for a 6-foot shrub. Fill the hole with water and let it percolate into the soil before transplanting to ensure the entire area is thoroughly moist.

Making the Move

• 4

  Dig a trench just outside the circle of pruned roots. Make the trench about 8 inches wide and 5 inches deep for a 3-foot shrub, or 10 inches deep for a 6-foot shrub.

• 5

  Dig into the soil at a 45-degree angle under the the root ball from the bottom of the trench using a pointed shovel. Continue digging around the entire circumference of the root ball to cut through the roots that anchor the plant from below. Gently pry up on the root ball on all sides to break any remaining roots.

• 6

  Tip the shrub over to one side in the hole once the root ball is completely free. Slide a sheet of burlap under the root ball and tip it back the other way, simultaneously pulling the burlap sheet farther under the root ball until it is centered under the shrub.

• 7

  Tie the burlap snugly around the root ball with garden twine to hold the soil around the roots. Preventing the soil from falling off the roots is one of the keys to avoid killing the root ball. Place the shrub into a wheelbarrow and move it to its new location.

• 8

  Lower the root ball into the planting hole and carefully remove the burlap. Check to see that the crown of the roots is at the same level as the surrounding soil. Planting too deep or shallow is a common mistake that can lead to the slow demise of the plant.

• 9

  Mix compost with the excavated soil and re-fill the planting hole. Use 1 shovel load of compost for every 3 or 4 shovels' worth of the native soil to nourish the roots of the shrub as they recover from transplanting. Pack the soil firmly around the roots to eliminate any air pockets that would allow the roots to dry out.

• 10

  Spread 3 or 4 inches of mulch over the root zone and water thoroughly. Keep the soil evenly moist for the next growing season, watering whenever the top 1/2 inch of soil is dry.