How to Replant a Mature Daphne

Preparing for the Move

• 1

  Find a site with the same sun exposure, soil drainage and pH as the location where your daphne currently grows. Replanting in similar conditions maximizes the chance of successfully moving this finicky shrub.

• 2

  Root-prune your daphne in fall prior to replanting it in spring. Measure a 14-inch-diameter circle around the daphne's base to provide an adequate root ball for a 2-foot evergreen or 3-foot deciduous shrub. Add another 4 to 6 inches of diameter for each additional foot of height. Root ball depth, in all cases, should be at least 9 inches. Wooden stakes spaced at equal intervals around the circle create a guide for digging.

• 3

  Use the straight-blade shovel to dig a circular trench. Align the outer edge of the trench with the wooden stakes. Make the trench 8 inches by 1 foot wide and at least 1 foot deep.

• 4

  Use a measuring scoop to add topsoil and compost to the wheelbarrow at a 2:1 ratio. Blend thoroughly with the cultivating fork to break up clumps. Fill the trench with the mix to encourage feeder root growth.

• 5

  Water the trench well with the garden hose. Check periodically for moisture, and repeat the soaking whenever the soil 2 or 3 inches beneath the surface is dry to the touch. Cover the trench and root ball area with a 3-inch mulch layer to keep the developing feeder roots moist and warm.

• 6

  Check the shrub's feeder roots before lifting it in the spring. If they're sparse, hold off on the move for at least another year.

Replanting

• 7

  Dig the new hole for your daphne. Make it deep enough that the shrub's crown will be at ground level. Mix the soil from the hole with compost at a 2:1 ratio using the same process you used to mix topsoil and compost in Section 1. Hollow out several tunnels in the sides of the hole.

• 8

  Soak the soil so it clings to the daphne's roots. Mark the northern side of the trunk with white paint. Cut a square of natural burlap large enough to wrap the entire soil ball. Spread the material flat on the ground at the hole's perimeter.

• 9

  Dig around and underneath the soil ball, preserving as many feeder roots as possible. Lift the shrub by the soil ball, and place it on the burlap. Wrap the soil ball snugly. Thread the upholstery needle with natural twine. Stitch the burlap closed.

• 10

  Slide the shrub onto another length of burlap, and drag it to the new hole. Alternatively, lift it by the soil ball into a vehicle to transport it. Center it at its original depth, with the white mark on the trunk facing north. Refill the hole and tunnels with the wheelbarrow mix to help the feeder roots establish.

• 11

  Water the daphne well. Maintain consistent moisture throughout the growing season. Spread a 4-inch mulch layer over the root ball, leaving the trunk and branches exposed.