So I have some a big Hydrangea (forget its type) that I want to relocate so I can move another one in its place. Seemed like an easy enough task when I started this morning, but after an hour I just can't get the damn thing out of the ground.

Its big, probably 4-5 feet of branch spread. There has to be some sort of engineering trick to get it out of the ground, I can get my long shovel under it and push it up, but when I go to lift it from the middle I make no progress. My goal is to move it about 4 feet away, so once its out of the ground I can drag it.

Any of you engineers done this before (without help)?

Here is a pic, I've dug about 18 inches from the middle (I know that's not ideal, but these guys are pretty hardy and if I kill this one I could get over it.

simpson wrote:You just can't lift it because its heavy? Or the roots are holding it in the hole? If you can't get it out I would use a small piece of plywood or 2x4. Start at one side and stick it in the hole. Dig down on the other side lower then the side u stuck the wood in. Once you can grab the wood pull up on it till its sitting flush on the ground over the hole. Now u can use a saw or what not to cut all the roots. Then just slide the sucker over to its new home.

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Good idea. There are probably some roots still holding it back but its hard to get to them Its also got to be 100-200 lbs. I was also thinking of wrapping some rope around it so I have something to grab other than the spindly branches. Unlike some other shrubs there is no good main stem to grab. I'll pick up some wood today.

rootball. cut as large a rootball as you can manage. The bush isn't going to be happy this season, and won't most likely bloom, but by next year it should be a beautiful (albeit smaller) bush.

southerncalpal wrote:rootball. cut as large a rootball as you can manage. The bush isn't going to be happy this season, and won't most likely bloom, but by next year it should be a beautiful (albeit smaller) bush.

The problem is getting the rootball out of the ground.

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Jon, play that and notice the "nursery spade" cutting the the roots and the "spud bar" as a fulcrum.

Feel free to just get as much root ball as possible, sawing or clipping away the rest. As long as you manage to retain as much root mass as you can (and can carry), that's just fine. You're doing this at the exact correct time, and going to get more root mass than a nursery would when lifting.

I've actually used tree clippers to remove a shrub, both branch trimmers and anvil clippers. Reach under and snap those puppies. I've also levered them out with a spade and let the roots snap wherever they want.

Once done, if you can flip it on the side and neaten up any poor cuts so they're clean, great. If not, the shrub will most likely deal with it.

Then just re-plant. Feed well this year, and keep damp, and don't expect a hydrangea will be particularly happy (although they transplant adequately as I've done it). You might even still get a few blooms off it!

Success, the two-by-four combined with a pruning shovel to help cut the roots worked. I also trimmed the shrub back by about 2 feet so it would be easier to work with.

Here are some photos.

The trimmings (by the way, this is my front shade area where I did a KBG overseed into fine fescue, its looking quite good).



The lever:



Loose root ball:



Relocated into its new home:



New (old shrub from the place I moved the one above) shrub into first hole:



All I have to do now is repair the drip line.

Looks good! If you notice a lot of wilting, just enhance its water. You probably won't have an issue with it.

Yeah, drip line's fun when you break it. I have one at the moment that's broken--I need to get out and fix that.

I'm not worried about wilting; that's why all my hydrangea are on their own drip zone(s). The big one that I had dug out last saturday had already started re-rooting in a week's time, so I think I got these moved at the ideal time. The one I cared about is the one that I moved to the front, it wasn't out of the ground for more than 5 minutes. Hopefully it doesn't even know it was moved (its barely started to bud).

I have some 6-7 foot skip laurels that I want to move, not sure if I'll be able to pull that off (they are about 3-4 feet in diameter). I hate paying people to do this stuff.

The nursery spade worked better than the spud bar, but now I have both in my garage.

The two-by four on top of the bag of compost (folder in half) was the key. At one point I thought it was going to snap, but then the shrub popped out.

jglongisland wrote:The two-by four on top of the bag of compost (folder in half) was the key. At one point I thought it was going to snap, but then the shrub popped out.

I broke a shovel once getting out an ornamental grass. Crack, and there went the handle. Of course, it was a cheap, old, wooden-handled shovel, so I wasn't that upset.

Of course, I still had to get the grass out...