How to Transplant a Bottlebrush Buckeye

Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is a large shrub that spreads through suckering. It reaches up to 12 feet high and 20 feet wide. It gets its name from the long, narrow, hanging flower displays it produces in the summer. The plant has deep-green, waxy palmate leaves that turn yellow in the fall. Buckeyes have an extensive root system and begin dying back if planted in too small a space. Transplanting it to a larger space solves the problem.

Shovel
Tarp
Wheelbarrow
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Select a new planting spot that gets partial to full sun. It should have well-draining, moist soil with a neutral-to-acidic pH.
- 2
  Dig out the plant in the late winter or early spring. Use a shovel and start digging at the plant's drip line, which is the widest reach of the foliage. Dig in towards the trunk and down under the roots. Get up as much of the root system as possible.
- 3
  Pull the bush out of the hole and onto a tarp so you can drag it to the new planting site. For small plants, carry it or put it in a wheelbarrow.
- 4
  Dig a hole at the new planting site large enough to fit the root ball plus 12 more inches in width. Lower the plant into the new hole so it is at the same depth as in the original hole.
- 5
  Backfill the hole with soil. Firming the soil with your hands eliminates air pockets. Water the area until the soil settles.

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