How to Transplant Carex Albicans

Water the white-tinged sedge one to two days before digging it up for transplant. Apply 1 inch of water from a garden hose to the surrounding ground.

Gather the sedge's grassy leaves together above the plant's center. Wrap a piece of string around the leaves and tie its ends together to hold the leaves in a bundle. Do not tie the string so tightly as to damage the foliage but tight enough to secure the grass in an upright bunch.

Dig in a circle around the sedge with a shovel, 6 to 8 inches from its perimeter. Dig down to a depth of 14 to 18 inches. Push the shovel's blade horizontally across the underside of the root ball to cut it from the ground.

Lift the sedge plant carefully from the ground using the shovel. Brush off excess dirt from the root ball, stopping once the tips of the plant's roots become visible. Place the plant in a bucket or wheelbarrow and transport it to the new planting site. Place the grass in the shade and cover its root ball with a moist piece of burlap.

Clear any weeds and rocks from a planting site located in full to partial shade and containing well-draining soil. Dig a hole in the site with a shovel, making it twice as wide and equal in depth to the sedge's root ball. Space the hole 18 inches away from other plants and objects.

Remove the burlap from the sedge's root ball and move the plant to the ground beside the hole. Clip back any exposed roots that sport breaks. Place the sedge in the bottom center of the hole. Add or remove soil from the hole's bottom if needed to ensure that the top of the root ball sits even with the surrounding ground.

Fill the hole one-half full of soil, tamping it down around the sedge's roots. Fill the hole with water from the garden hose. Allow the soil to absorb the water completely. Fill the hole full of additional soil. Tamp the soil down firmly. Water the sedge plant with the garden hose, applying at least 1 inch of water to thoroughly moisten the root zone and settle the soil.

Prune out any dead foliage with a pair of pruning shears. Make each cut 1/4 inch above the leaf's base. Discard the clipped foliage in a trash bin or on a compost pile.

Water the sedge when the top 1 inch of soil becomes dry. Never allow the soil to become soggy. Once the plant begins to produce new growth, slow watering schedule by waiting until the top 2 to 3 inches of soil becomes dry before watering.