Transplanting a Japanese maple is not difficult, but there are a few key things to know to prevent doing serious harm to your tree.
The two most important factors in successfully transplanting Japanese maple trees are depth and timing.
If you can at all help it, only dig your Japanese maple when it is dormant.
What is Dormancy?
Dormancy is a natural period of rest for your plant. It allows the plant to prepare its soft tissue for freezing temperatures or drought.
Dormancy is typically triggered by a hard freeze where temperatures dip below 30 degrees Fahrenheit for at least a few hours straight.
Digging a dormant plant is very similar to operating on an anesthetized patient. Before going to surgery, a doctor will put a patient on anesthesia to keep them from going into shock.
Likewise, digging a Japanese maple that is “wide awake” and actively growing can put your tree into shock. Sometimes it’s unavoidable and you gotta’ do what you gotta’ do, but if at all possible, it’s best to wait to dig your tree.
Step #1: Dig Your Tree
Begin by digging a trench around the root ball. As long as your tree is dormant, cutting the roots will not damage your Japanese maple.
In fact, root pruning will force the tree to produce more fibrous roots at the cut. This will help your tree become established in its new home.
The rule of thumb is 12″ of root ball per 1″ of tree caliper. Tree caliper is the diameter of the trunk, measured six inches above the soil line. A tree with a 2″ caliper trunk would need a root ball 24″ in diameter.
See this post for more details on this process.
If you are digging a Japanese maple that is not dormant, then it’s very important not to sever any major roots. However, digging a non dormant plant is not recommended. Ever! You could lose the plant.
Japanese maple roots tend to grow more outward than downward. You will want to dig wide– at least as wide as the tree’s crown, if not wider.
Once your trench is done, it is time to shape the root ball for burlaping. If you are transplanting your Japanese maple immediately there is no need to ball and burlap it.
If you plan to keep it above ground for any length of time, you should protect the roots by wrapping them in soil and burlap.
To create a round shape, keep your spade at an angle to slice under the root ball, shaping it as you go. Don’t wiggle or pry, just slice.
Prying will cause the soil to break loose from the roots and your ball to lose shape. Click here to see a video tutorial on how to easily fix a broken root ball. Once your root ball is shaped then it’s time to wrap it in burlap.
Step #2: Burlap Your Root Ball
Place your root ball in the center of your burlap square. For large Japanese maples, it is easiest to take a square of burlap and tuck it under the front of your root ball.
Then use a spade to gently push it underneath. Tip the tree forward a bit if you need to.
One your root ball is situated and you have replaced any dirt that you lost in the process, tie the burlap in a criss-cross pattern (top left corner to the bottom right, bottom left to the top right). Pat your root ball to pack it tight and begin pinning to secure it.
Pull your burlap tight and pin it in place. Pinning nails are available at nursery supply stores. You can use a nail with a flat head from your hardware store.
Rusty nails are very hard to push through burlap. Make sure your nails are clean and dry. Watch for pins that work themselves loose as you are tugging an pulling. They’ll prick you if you’re not careful.
Insert the pinning nail in one direction.
Use the pinning nail for leverage as you pull and flip it.
Secure the pinning nail in the opposite direction you started.
When transplanting a large Japanese maple tree, can use some sisal twine to secure the burlap while you are moving it.
Using a piece of burlap or tarp as a sling will make moving your tree a whole lot easier.
A Little Note About Storing Your Japanese Maple
A burlapped Japanese maple is very much like a potted one. The soil will dry out faster than if it were in the ground.
If you are not planting your tree right away, be sure that it doesn’t dry out. Give the burlap a good soaking with the hose.
Like a potted plant, the soil in the burlap will heat up or freeze faster than ground soil.
If you are leaving your balled and burlapped plant above ground during extreme weather, it will benefit you to throw a layer of mulch or leaves over the ball to help with insulation. Here’s more information about protecting Japanese maples for the harsh elements.
Step #3: Re-Plant Your Tree
Season makes no difference when planting your Japanese maple. You can plant them at any time. Time is only a factor when digging them.
Natural burlap is bio-degradable. Poly Burlap takes a little longer to break down. Most people can plant their trees without removing the burlap, however, if you have really sandy soil it is best to remove it.
It can take a very long time for sandy soil to break down burlap. Your tree will be happier if you cut it off.
If you choose to plant with burlap, loosen the top and cut the twine. Watch for hidden strings.
Sometimes when trees are at the nursery for a while, they re-burlap right over the old. If you didn’t wrap it yourself, take a peak underneath the first layer of burlap.
Make 3-4 vertical slices into the burlap to make it easier for the roots to escape.
The depth of your hole is extremely important.
For normal- sandy soil, the top of the root ball should be 1″ to 1 1/2″ above grade. Back-fill with top soil.
There is no need to use peat or soil amendments. (The exposed roots will be covered with soil, but they should be mounded and covered above ground level.)
If you have heavy clay soil, raise your root ball up an additional 2″. Be sure to back-fill with the same clay soil that you got from digging the hole. Don’t try to use a better quality soil for filling the hole or you’ll get the “bathtub effect”.
Rainwater will soak into the new soil and be trapped once it hits the clay soil below. It has nowhere to drain. Japanese maples do not like wet feet! It’s best to back-fill with the clay soil and then build a bed around the top of the tree with good, rich soil.
Once again, don’t plant too deeply. If you made your hole too deep, there is no need to pick the tree back up. You’ll save your back a lot of discomfort by tipping the tree and adding soil below it.
Once your tree is planted, give it a drink of water and let nature take over. I don’t recommend using garden fertilizer.
Nitrogen releases way too quickly and will burn the delicate leaves of a Japanese maple. I find that the less I interfere, the better it does. Here is more information on fertilizing Japanese maples.
That’s it. That’s all there is too it. Mind your seasons and watch your depth. You will find that transplanting Japanese maple trees is easy as pie. Visit this page for Japanese maple planting tips.
Check out this very big job:
I live in Tennessee and I have a 15 foot Japanese Maple that I want to transplant. I know it’s ideal to do it early fall late Spring, but I’d like to do it now but if it is ideal to wait for the perfect time., that’s okay, please advise.
Rich
Rich,
Do not move it now, do not move it in early fall. You have to wait until you experience a hard freeze before you can dig it. Not a frost, but a hard freeze where temps go below 32 for several hours.
Hi! I have a ‘Red Dragon’ I need to move.. I’m in Kentucky (6)…..Is now a good time? I feel like I should wait a couple of weeks……?
Thanks so much!
Alison,
You are correct. Wait a few more weeks. Let the tree go dormant on it’s own. Closer to Thanksgiving is better. That still gives you plenty of time before the ground freezes.
Hi Matt, I planted a Ryusen Japanese Maple, about 2.5 inch base, in Virginia about two weeks ago that had started to leaf out. It did well for about a week and then leaves started to blacken and fall off. Very few little green leaves left on plant. Limbs are still green. Do you think it will recover?
Jon,
I suspect the tree is planted too deep and or planted in a wet spot. The top of the root ball should be above grade by at least 2″ for a tree that size. If you dug a extra large hole in clay like soil and fill that with loose compost like material it might be holding too much water. If you get it out of that hole it will probably make new leaves, but it will take weeks.
Hi Mike,
I transplanted a Japanese Maple about 2.5 months ago after it had been in same place for 5 years. Now that it leafed out I realize I put it in a too tight of place!
Just wondering, would it be okay to move again now? I am in Alabama zone on border of 7B – 8A, our temps are now in 70’s to 80’s during daytime with no frost threat in mid April.
Doubt it has rooted at all…. but realize it has leafed out for about a month now.
Oscar,
Moving it now should be fine. You did all the root damage when you moved the first time and it hasn’t had a chance to root in so you’ll do no root damage moving it a second time.
THANK YOU Mike for getting back to me so quickly!!! Greatly appreciate your wealth of knowledge!!!
Hi Mike,
We have the opportunity to transplant a 10-12 ft Japanese Maple. It’s late January in N. Texas so the tree is dormant. Is this a task we can take on by ourselves? Worried the tree may just be too big to capture the root ball. Thanks for your informative post!
Hannah,
It really depends on the caliper of the trunk, measured 6″ off the ground. You need about 11″ or root ball for every inch of trunk caliper. It’s hard work and the root ball will be heavy. I’d consider hiring some local labor to help you. Lots of Hispanic guys have experience doing this kind of work and they are good at.
I transplanted a Coral Bark Japanese Maple. For a few weeks it seemed fine, but the leaves have all gone black now. We had to move it, so I knew it was a risk. Is it a goner? We had a termite issue with another that died in our heat wave when our sprinkler system broke for a week, so if black leaves means it’s dead, I want to pull it up fast.
Hello! Ive just transplanted my Japanese maple (its just started to drop its leaves) and wondered if i can put grass turf around the bottom of it? Or will this be too much competition for the roots?
As long as the grass does not go up on the stem it should be fine. Just make sure you tree is not planted too deep or in a wet area.
Mike, I planted a Bloodgood Japanese Maple approx two months ago. I line in Georgia so the soil is heavy red clay. Many of the leaves are curling up and falling off the tree. My concern is that it is saturated with all the rain we received. In order to save the tree, can I remove the amended soil I used in planting the tree and replace with new clean clay? I did leave the burlap on the root ball when I planted it and planted it about one inch out of the ground. Your advice is appreciated. Dan
Dan,
After only two months you can pull it out and make those changes. Crispy curly leaves are a sign of not enough water or too much fertilizer. A tree that is too wet usually just drops the leaves before they get crispy.
Hi Mike,
Thank you for the informative video. I have a situation. Someone is selling me a Firwglow that is about 4 feet tall and wide, They want me to move it asap. I live in Norway and the temperature now is about 20 degrees celcius. What would you do sir?
Samuel,
If you just go in and dig it now it is likely to die. No promises, but if you wet the ground really good and dig a little bit each day over a period of ten days you might be able to save it. Waiting until the tree is dormant is a far better option. If you dig now, dig out as far as is reasonable. The smaller the roots that you severe the better for the tree. If this works, let me know. But if you are paying for the tree, it might not be worth the risk.
We bought our house 14 years ago. The previous owner had planted a Japanese Maple in a flower bed near the house. It’s always been short (3′-4′), so I’m guessing it’s some sort of dwarf variety? We need to bring in machinery to work on the foundation of the house, and there just isn’t a lot of room between the house and flower bed, so I’m afraid it’s going to get severely damaged if we leave it there. The work should be done in the fall. Based on your article, I should hold off trying to ball it until as late as possible.
I’m wondering if there is anything different I should consider since it is a dwarf.
I’m feeling confident that the roots have likely grown under the pavers used in the patio area and walkway on both sides of it. So I should probably try to pull those up before digging.
The trunk is roughly 3.5″ in diameter and it’s just over 4′ tall. The limbs are spread out quite wide though. I’m guessing a solid 8’+ in diameter.
Brock,
This sounds like a weeping Japanese maples and a tree that size would have a value of at least $1,200 to $2,000. It’s worth saving. But you can’t safely dig it until almost Thanksgiving and the root ball would have to be close to 48″ wide.
Assuming the stars align and the timing is right and I can dig it out around Thanksgiving and manage to capture the 48″ wide root ball…
Can I leave it like that until spring before putting it back in the ground? Should I make a temporary spot somewhere else in the yard so I can bury the root ball over the winter? What would be best for tree, assuming I want to move it back when the work is finished?
That being said though, the tree has been outgrowing that space, impinging on the walk way. Perhaps I should consider moving it to a new permanent location. It would also be easy enough to reconfigure the flower bed to give the maple a lot more space without being in the way. (just thinking out loud)
Brokk,
You can probably leave it out of the ground all winter if you put a wire fence around the ball and fill inside with leaves. In the ground is always better.
Hi Mike,
This has been a wonderful post!
I am about to move an Acer ‘Inaba Shidare’ Japanese Maple as the area is getting bulldozed.
Currently it is growing amongst giant rocks so digging it up will involve the loss of a lot of the roots.
My question is should I remove 25% of pranches at the time of root work?
Or do I leave the branches because there is energy stored in the leaves/branches?
Normally with other trees I balance the canopy with the amount if remaining roots.
I am based in Australia and it is the middle of winter so the tree is dormant
*branches
Rhiannon,
I don’t think you need to or want to remove branches. There is a root producing hormone produced in the tips of the branches. As long as the tree is dormant which it is and you get an ample amount of root ball it should be fine. Of course you’ll cut some roots, but that shouldn’t matter with a dormant tree.
This post is absolutely wonderful to read through and learn from!
I am just about to move a mature Acer ‘Inaba Shidare’ Japanese Maple but unfortunately it will involve removing a lot of the root system as it has grown amongst giant immovable rocks.
Currently here in Australia it is mud winter so the tree is dormant.
My question is if removing a large mass of root system should I trim back the foliage too?
In some plants I balance the root and foliage however I don’t want to defoliate at the time of root work if the plants energy is in the branches/leaves.
Hi! I just planted a Bloodgood Japanese Maple tree when I moved into a new house in early May this year. I’m totally new to gardening so did not take into consideration its tolerance for sun. exposure. It’s sitting in a full exposure spot and yesterday was the first time I really realized it’s too hot for it. I’m debating if I should transplant it now (at the end of June) or wait till fall? For reference, I’m in Boston. Its trunk is about 1 inch in diameter. i’m worried that if i wait til fall, it might not make it through the summer. But I’m also worried that it would be doomed if I move it now… I’m so torn and just want the best for it…advice would be so appreciated. thank you!
I was also considering adding some flowers in front of it, maybe like salvia or something, to help shied it from the exposure. Not sure if that’ll work at all…
Angela,
A tree that size might handle the sun okay, I don’t think it will kill it as long as you keep the tree watered. But since it’s only been in the ground a month you should be able to move it if get it out of the hole carefully. If you wait, wait until after Thanksgiving.
Hi, Mike gave his advice and this is 2yrs later but I had a thought for anyone with a similar problem. You didn’t say *why* you thought the spot was too hot – as in, whether the tree was already showing serious signs of damage yet – but if it was and you were really worried, AND if it wasn’t already too tall, home stores sell a semi-transparent shade sail cloth with grommet holes that comes in multiple sizes and shapes that could be used to rig up a shade cover to fully or partially shade the tree temporarily until it can be relocated during the dormant season. The cloth can also be ordered online (Amazon and the like) and can be bought in different shade or transparency levels so you can sort of choose how much light to filter out or let through. I’m no expert but hate the thought of it being stuck there burning in the sun & would definitely look into this if the tree is showing signs of serious distress already. Although if it is otherwise healthy and somewhat large like Mike said, it may be able to make it this season according to his advice. I hope it does okay! I have two that are in shady and semi-shady spots, respectively, and they LOVE their homes. A little too much, unfortunately, as the previous homeowner planted them RIGHT NEXT to my foundation and in between a concrete walkway and they are completely choked for space – as well as impeding the walking path – that’s the problem I’ll need help with, rather than the shade… but Japanese maples are definitely light and heat sensitive and need just the right temp & amount of light to thrive so be sure to carefully consider and find the right spot in the yard according to the species before that transplant so you never have to move that beauty again! If you don’t have a perfect shady spot, I would even make one if you had to, by using a shade sail and maybe make a little sitting area around it with other shade-tolerant plants
Perhaps this could be an alternative to moving the tree altogether if it won’t grow too tall or if you can keep it softly pruned to a manageable height. Factor in that sun-loving plants or even your lawn, etc., under the shade sail area will not like the sudden loss of their beloved sunlight as much though. Best of luck! This is unlikely to help you specifically but maybe someone else reading this who is in a similar boat will be able to benefit.
I am having an addition put on my house and I need to move my Japanese Maple. It’s a VERY healthy 15-20 foot tree. I will have no choice but to transplant it in probably June/July/August based on when the addition will be starting. What are the chances that it’ll be ok??
Kate,
I think the chances of it surviving a move in July are about 5%. If the digging were to take place over a matter of weeks, cutting just a root or two each time it might work. Water well throughout the process.
My Japanese maple was transplanted at the end of April. Now I believe it is in shock. The leaves have all shriveled up. How can I save this tree?
Gloria,
You really can not transplant a plant once it has leafed out. All you can do is keep the leaves damp and shaded, mostly shaded, and hope for the best.
I love your information! Thanks.
Is it ok to transplant an emperor maple this time of year? It’s not doing well in its location. It’s only 2 years old.
I live in zone 6b
Angela,
If it has already leafed out it’s not recommended to transplant it. Transplanting has to be done when plants are dormant. If you really think it’s struggling you can try and move it, dig a little each day, cutting only a few roots at at time and getting larger than normal root ball. It needs to be in an area that is well drained and not planted any deeper than the original root ball. But its risky.
Hello Mike,
I live in Torronto, Canada and I have a small beautiful Green Laceleafs JM (Viridis Waterfall JM) planted in the ground for 4 years. The trunk and the roots are now growing big & nice thick trunk. Now Iam thinking of diiging it up to pot it so I can train it as a Bonsai. Is it possible for me to do it and when is the good time to dig it up and pot it.
I am thinking of using Fir Bark, Perlite, Coarse Sand or Chicken Grit and little Organic Potting Soil as Potting Mix. What do you think ?
Thanks Mike.
BTW this is a great site.
JM,
If you are going to dig it you have to do so before it makes leaves in the spring, or after Thanksgiving. In a pot it will need a potting mix that drains really well and a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote 14-14-14. The fertilizer must be slow release. But, the tree would be much happier in the ground.
Hi Mike. This is an extremely popular post — I appreciate seeing all of your answers! We recently purchased a house where a Japanese maple was planted in a small atrium area. It was probably planted 10-15 years ago, is now over 15 feet tall and is constantly rubbing on the beams and the sides of the house when it is windy. I’d like to move it to a different part of the yard where it will have appropriate space and not damage the house. It is late February with Northern California weather, and it is just starting to come out of dormancy and leaf out. I’m certain a month ago would have been better timing, but what are your thoughts on getting it transplanted in the next week or so?
Sean,
If the buds are just swollen and the leaves have not yet unfurled it should be safe to move the tree. But please hurry, things change fast this time of year.
This post was very helpful to us when we transplanted a large Bloodgood Japanese maple 18 months ago (fall 2020). The tree is about 15 feet tall with a 3” caliper. It was in the way of construction, so we figured that moving it was worth a try.
It has survived beautifully thanks to your good guidance. Now I have a question.
The tree gets a lot of wind. The first winter, we learned the hard way that the stakes we plunged into our sandy soil were not sufficient when the tree toppled several times. So we screwed in three dog tie-ups rather than garden stakes. These have worked well. And we then doted on the tree all summer. It has been a champ and looks fantastic.
My question is about staking. This is the second winter the tree has been staked. My dad’s rule was that you stake it for the number of years of the caliper (which would be 3-4 in our case). But everything I read online says we should remove stakes after one year or else we will undermine the long term health of the tree. It is hard for me to believe that one year of growth would give this tree enough stability to withstand the Lake Michigan gales that took it down right after transplanting.
What are your thoughts?
Jenifer,
I don’t think any one rule can be applied across the board. If the head of your tree is large and dense enough to catch a lot of wind it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m thinking two years should do the trick.
Perfect. Thanks so much. My instinct says that is good advice.
Hi Mike,
I have a garden pot on my deck that is 20″ wide. There are 5 Japanese maples in it that self seeded from a large maple next to the deck many years ago. They are all about 40 – 45 inches tall now. Should I try to plant these in my yard? And if so should I plant them all together as they are now, or try to separate their roots and spread them out? The parent tree is a green Japanese Maple — not lace leafed — whose leaves turn a little red at the edges in the sun. It is probably 25 feet tall. It was here when we moved in so I don’t know the name of it.
Thanks so much for all your info on Japanese Maples.
Kim
Kim,
Even if you knew the name of the parent tree, those seedlings would not be that variety. They are not clones of the parent plant. Yes, I’d plant them in the yard and I would separate them. Do that around Thanksgiving so that if you do root damage you won’t shock the trees.
MIke,
Thank you so much. I never knew that about seedlings — that is so interesting!
And I will be so happy to separate them and plant them around Thanksgiving — I never would have guessed that would be okay to do.
Here’s to five beautiful surprises down the road!
Thank you,
Kim
Can I replant this Japanese maple? Approx 10 ft, late spring 3-4 inch trunk. I have a photo. Thank you!
Kat,
The answer is no, you most certainly will kill it moving it at this time of the year.
I have about 25 seedlings that have popped up around 2 of my parent trees. I can leave the ones in the beds until fall but some have sprouted in the grass so will be mowed over if I do not transplant now. They are only about 2 inches tall. Any suggestions on moving them to pots? I just can’t bear the thought of not trying to save them from the mower!
Cheryl,
Most importantly try not to damage the roots when moving, especially if they have leafed out. When potting, the soil must be really light, well drained, not soggy ever. Sometimes it easier to just put them in a bed in the ground.
Thanks for this helpful article! We purchased around 2 metre height of Red Blood Japanese maple and have planted on the ground 2 weeks ago, but I’ve just realised we planted way too deep from the ground.
I think it’s probably 15cm deeper than what it should be and now the tree seems to get wet feet too since there is new turf around it that we needed to water regularly last week. Its leaves are looking curly now. Any advice what should we do to save it?
I should have mentioned, it’s almost summer in where we live now with average temperature around early to mid 20ish Celsius.
Irene,
If it’s only been planted for a few weeks I’d simply dig it out and plant it higher. Leave about 1.5 inches of the root ball above grade then cover with soil and mulch.
Mike, thank you for investing your time in a very informative site. I live in IL and loss 3 maple trees, 2 newly planted and 1 very well established, due to the below zero deep freeze of 2018. We purchased a laceleaf and an orangeola this spring and still have them in the large black landscape containers. We plan on moving locally in the next 2 years and I want to take them, when we move and plant them inground. Should I replant them in larger containers in the Spring? I thought I could protect them during the winter by insulating the containers. What’s the best way to keep them thriving for the next couple of years? If you suggest planting them, I need to start digging now lol.
Chana,
I would at least for the winter plant the trees, or at least bury the containers in the ground. Insulating them will only help to a degree but extend cold spells will permeate the insulation.
I have been growing seedlings from the gorgeous Japanese Maple in my back yard. Two of them made it through last winter in pots. I think it is time to move them to bigger pots to get through this next winter. They are about 20″ tall. Should I follow the directions here and wait until after the first freeze? Any other advice?
Sally,
Transfering from a pot they don not have to be dormant.
Thanks!!
Hi Mike,
I bought a Red Dragon dwarf Japanese maple about four days ago. I had a whiskey barrel set aside and planned to move it to that immediately. The lady in the store assured me it would be an easy procedure when I told her my transplanting plan. HOWEVER, I am now seeing wet soil and the leaves are starting to shrivel up. There are white marks at the leaves’ tips. I’m guessing that I transplanted during the wrong time…or maybe I planted too deep or there are drainage issues? I think it’s just not taking up any water.
The details: It’s a BIG (2ft diameter) barrel and I placed small rocks in to fill about 1/4 of the barrel and there are 4 holes in the bottom. The tag says it wants full sun to partial shade but I have so far kept it in the shade. Ive avoided watering it as the soil seems moist. I transplanted so that hardly any soil covers the stem and used a mix of garden booster and potting soil.
The question I have here is: Do I need to act fast here? Meaning, do I need to do a “re-transplant” and try to see what’s going on down there? Any help will be greatly appreciated!!
Andrew,
I think it’s planted just fine and I think it dried out. That’s the only thing that could affect it that fast. Unless you put a quick release fertilizer on it. But it sounds like it needs water. Keep in mind, it can only take up the water that the roots are touching. Any other moisture in the barrel is unavailable to the tree.
Thanks Mike. I actually did use a diluted solution of starter fertilizer (5-15-5) and if this is the culprit, should I take it out, soak it in water, and plant with new potting mix?
Maybe. It’s really difficult to say but it might be worth it.
Hi Mike,
I’m in NJ and want to transplant a beautiful but really tremendous Japanese maple. It’s branches are probably 3-4″ in diameter with the very base being I guess about 8″?? This is my first time researching and I don’t know much about trees in general so forgive my lack of knowledge here, ….it’s not a tall, regular maple tree, it’s the type that winds around and spreads outward. It’s probably about 10′ high and 15′ wide.
I don’t want to chance losing it altogether… I will look for someone to do it while the tree is dormant which I learned from your blog. Question is, will most landscapers know how to transplant it correctly or will I take a big chance losing it altogether by hiring someone randomly?
Thanks – great blog – wish you were located in North Jersey!
Gigi,
That’s a big tree to move, it will need a massive root ball. Trees that size are often moved with giant tree spades mounted on a very large truck. Which means you need a lot of room for the equipment. Can it be hand dug? Yes, but it would take an experienced digger to form a ball that big. I’d get a number of quotes and listen to what they have to say. Their amount of experience should show in what they tell you about moving the tree. Is it safe to move it? That’s a million dollar question. I would think so if done correctly, but I can’t promise anything. That tree has not been root pruned in years and root pruning is an important part of transplanting large trees. Nurseries mechanically root prune their larger plants in the field on a regular basis.
I moved a 55 year old JM about 8 inches wide at base 8 feet tall I had back hoe dig it out about a 6 ft wide 4 ft deep base and they took a cable and cut the ground und it to release it from the dirt then I had a crane pick it up and put it on the back of a flat bed truck and move it 3/4 to my other house. It made and is now about 12 ftt wide from 8 feet wide and doing well. It cost me $2800 to move in Portland move in before mid march or after October. Good luck.
Hi!!
I have realized that I planted my Acer Japanese Maple way too deep by about 6-7 inches. I have dug around the trunk to expose the top a bit but really should dig it up and add more dirt. It’s 4 years old and about 4 ft. high. I’m in zone 5 and it ‘s springtime here. Should I still wait til Fall when it’s dormant?
Thank you in advance for your help!
Cindy,
I think you should wait until Thanksgiving to be safe.
Thank you Mike!!!
I have a 4 to 5 year old JM that my ex planted too close to the house. We are wanting to move it soon as it is just getting to big in the area. Since space is beginning to be an issue, can we move it now to a more open space or do we have time to wait till Oct/Nov to move it? I know dormant time from reading the article is best. Just not wanting to ruin the tree or my fence/house.
Ashley,
At this point you really need to wait until almost Thanksgiving for it to go dormant. There really is no other safe option for the tree.
Hi Mike,
You’ve said often that timing is critical when transplanting Japanese maples – do you know of any instances where transplanting a large one in mid spring has been successful?
Thanks,
Anna
Anna,
That would depend on a lot of things. How long has the tree been there, how many times was it root pruned before it was planted? How far out away from the trunk did the person dig. If you can do so without cutting any large roots it could be possible, but it’s not something that I’d want to risk.
So glad I read the comments and caught the one about the mistake in the article. We would have killed ours if I had followed the 12 inch thing.
Mike,
Thank you so much for your guidance in transplanting my lace leaf. My daughter and grandchildren gave it to me, so it is special.
.
Hi Mike! Thank you for the information you’ve provided! I have a Japanese Maple (Laceleaf) that I want to move to my new house in a couple of weeks. It is unfortunately June in NC. We purchased a very wide but shallow pot to put it in until our landscapers are ready for it. What are our best options to keep it alive in the pot for 2-3 weeks? We need to move it now. Thank you in advance!
Hsiaowei,
As little root damage as possible, good potting soil that drains well, lots of water and lots and lots of shade. If you severe roots this time of year the tree is likely to fail.
Thank you! It’s now out of the ground and wrapped. I will be able to replant in 2 days. Hoping for the best!
I have a large Japanese Queen maple in my yard in Connecticut. It was here when I bought the house 15 years ago and it has pachysandra around it. I am always finding tiny little trees around it in my grass. I just mow them while mowing my lawn Every once in a while, one grows in a small area of woods next to it. My neighbor took one that was about six inches,and he put it in a pot for a year or two and then he planted it in his yard. It is about ten feet now and beautiful. I trying to do the same for my mom and planted one of the tiny little trees (that came from my Queen Japanese Maple) and potted it. It is in a large put and was on the closed porch now for two years. It is already full of leafs (It even had leafs before the one it came from) It is about two feet high now. I want to put it in the yard. When is the best time to do it and where and how do I do it with out killing it I read the article above. It seems its already may be too late to do it this spring, since it already has leafs. My it keeps its leafs to almost December.
Ann,
If it’s in a pot you can slide it out the pot and plant it at any time, you are not going to hurt it as long as you don’t cut roots.
Thank you. I am going to do plant it in ground this week. I am not sure if I put in sun and if I should use some type of like, Miracle Grow soil.
Ann,
The soil that you remove from the hole is probably the best thing to back fill with. Sometimes when you try to hard you do harm. I’ve never amended soil in a landscape and I’ve landscaped over 1,000 homes.
So glad I found this question. I was given a JM thats between 4-6 yrs. I have no idea what kind it is. Im pretty sure this is gonna be a big one. Its in a broken pot and root bound. I want to plant it in outside. It was suggested to dig a big hole and fill.it with compost and plant it. The dirt its going in probably isn’t the greatest. Its very weedy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
If the soil is clay do not dig a big hole and fill with compost. The hole will just fill with water and kill the tree. Back fill with the clay and plant it a tad high. If not clay that will work fine, still plant it a tad high. Loosen those roots before planting.
Morning,
I have an Acer Palmatun, Green with the spidery leaves. I had no option in late Feb Uk but to move it from Ground to Tub. In doing so the roots had grown under the Main concrete path and i had no choice but to cut 3 of the Main roots that it had. I’ve put it in a large pot with eracatious soil & compost.
The leaves have appeared but are a lot smaller than normal and curled.
In your opinion do you think it can survive, and are theleaves like that due to the move
Matt,
Maybe, but I’m concerned that it is too deep in the tub and the soil in the tub is too wet. Moving it probably didn’t harm it much. But soggy roots will kill it.
Hi Mike,
We dug out our coral bark maple a week ago which is about 10 foot tall, and have put in a pot for moving to a different house in six months. We have been watering it every other day; however the drain holes are not draining fast enough so there is too much water sitting in the pot. Would it be an issue and kill the tree.
Thank you!
Jenny,
It’s not ideal. Use some thing to shade the pot and roots and water less often.
Concerning transplanting a Japanese maple, you say to dig a trench in a 12 inch diameter from the trunk. surely you mean “radius” or “distance.” A 12″ diameter would give you only 5″ or less of roots all around the trunk.
Blane,
Without reviewing the article I believe what I said is to allow 12″ of root ball for every one inch of trunk diameter. That means that a tree with a 3″ trunk would need a root ball of 36″.
Mike-
It would have taken two seconds to review the article and confirm that you made a mistake. The same mistake another commenter brought up in December.
Really? Two seconds? Have you walked in my shoes? Have you created over 1,000 pieces of content then offered it for free to the world? Spread across at least four or five websites, I don’t even know any more. Do you spend time each day answering questions for free? Helping people all you can? Have spent tens of thousands of hours over 19 years answering questions for free?
If you haven’t, then you truly have no idea. As a matter of fact, I’m headed out the door right now, a million things to do, so once again I don’t have time to scan that article and the find the mistake that you are complaining about but failed to tell me what to do look for. So for now, I guess it stands as is. And I’m okay with that. I do what I can do.
So, you spend a lot of time telling mistruths? For what purpose?
Wow, Anonymous — no wonder you don’t use your real name. What a jerk. Here’s an idea — go dig some holes. Maybe that’ll get some of that aggression out.
I agree with Chris. Thank you for your time and help and I truly appreciate it.
You choose to post answers to planting questions. No one makes you do it. If you are this sensitive to negative comments scattered here and there, then you totally miss the point. When you post an aggressive comment on your own blog, it makes people like me click out and google the question to someone else. Have some self control or lose a LOT of readers. Like me. Now. Clicking off.
Yeah, maybe my comment was aggressive. I am as human as anybody else. I’ve spent more than 20 years creating and sharing free content to people around the world. I do the best I know how. Some people like me, some don’t. Not much I can do about that other than try harder.
Give the guy a break! He is not charging you for his professional experience and opinion. I, for one, am most appreciative for his blog.
Wow. Get a life!
I agree with Mike,Chris, and Ann 100%!
Thanks, Mike,
Unbelievable!
What a rude and ungrateful person you are!
If you don’t like it, then bog off somewhere else rather than post aggressive critical comments on Mikes page!
If he did make an error (OMG, arrest him!) then either ignore it, or politely point it out, and it’s up to him if he wants to amend it or not.
People like you, are the type that make bloggers throw the towel in, when they no longer can be bothered to slave away creating free content for others benefit.
When it stops being fun and rewarding, people no longer bother!
Katrina,
I appreciate your support. We have a ton of awesome people who truly love and appreciate what Duston and I do. Are we perfect? Not even close. Are we good at what we do? Yeah. We helped thousands of people successfully grow and sell small plants all over the world. I’m proud of that.
hello mike,
so glad i came across your wonderful page about japanese maple trees.
i have one in our garden that i want to move from the side of the house to being a centre piece in front of the house. i live in the uk. temperatures have been very cold ( around freezing with snow and ice ) but are beginning to warm up now ( around 7 – 10 centigrade ).
the tree in question is around 30 years old, 6ft tall and and about the same in width and has never been trimmed or cut.
can i move it now in the next few weeks or should i wait until next winter?
when i go to move it, what width and depth should i cut around the roots ( the rootball ) so as to make sure it survives the move?
many thanks,
luke
Luke,
You have until it starts making leaves to move it. Once it leafs out, don’t touch it until late fall. The rule of thumb is 11″ of root ball for every one inch of trunk diameter measured six inches from the soil line.
hello mike,
there are now tiny growths at the end of all the branches about 1-2mm long at the max – they really are tiny.
do you think that its now too late to move the tree or do you think i *might* just get away with moving it this week?
many thanks and kind regards
Luke,
If the leaves are unfurled it’s too late.
hello mike,
the tree has now been moved. the tiny little buds of approx 1-2mm at the ends of all the branches have gone from green /red to brown and withered looking – like tiny dried up lumps.
before the tree was put into the new hole which was dug for it, the hole was filled partially with ericaceous compost and a light scalttering of bone meal.
5 days after the move, we have had a heavy fall of snow again and temperatures are just below freezing.
i have watered the tree every day except today as the ground is covered with snow.
what do you think its chances of survival are and when would you expect to see signs of life / successful transplant?
im so hoping it will survive this move!.
Luke,
It sounds to me like you are giving the tree way too much water. When we moved the tree in the photos here the soil was not amended with anything and I never watered the tree at all. It sounds like the buds have failed for whatever reason, as long as the roots of the tree can breath, no more water, it should make new buds but that will take weeks.
This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
I planted a coral bark JM maple 4 years ago and it has grown aggressively in full sun. I want to transplant it now as it appears it will eventually obscure the front of my home. It measures 7 feet tall and the diameter at the base is 7 inches It will get partial/dappled sun in the new spot. Temperatures in Roanoke Virginia have dipped in to the mid 20’s the last 2 nights so I understand this may be an ideal time to transplant. I am looking for your recommendation as to how far out from the tree base do I begin THE BIG DIG. I will dig and replant the same day and the tree will move less than 150 feet.
Thank you so much for posting information specifically regarding Japanese Maples.. Your information now gives me the confidence to take on this project.
Jim,
The rule of thumb is 11″ of root ball for every 1″ of tree caliper. 7″ is a pretty big tree for transplanting so you can reduce that 11″ rule a bit. The tree should move nicely if you do it now.
Hi Mike,
Thank you for this great blog post, it really helped me in figuring out if I could even move my coral bark maple to another location.
However, I am confused about your instructions in part #1, verses your reply here.
In your instructions, you say, “For a large Japanese maple, dig your trench in a 12″ diameter from the trunk. You can go smaller when transplanting smaller trees.”
But here in the reply, you mention digging 11″ for every 1″ of tree caliper.
I used the 12″ diameter as stated in the blog post. My tree trunk at the bottom is about 2 1/2 inches wide. It is probably 9 feet tall.
Will it be okay? Or did I cut away too much of the root structure to survive.
It was so much easier than I expected — and your blog post helped me make the decision that I could do it on my own without hiring the job out.
Thank you!
Shana
Shana,
A tree with a 2.5″ caliper should have a root ball of about 30″ or a tad smaller. But trees are pretty forgiving when dormant.
I have two Crimson Queen japense maples that are about 15 years old, and have sentimental value. I will be moving and want to take them with me. Should I dig them now? Also, can they stay in the burlap for 6-9 months, or should I transplant them to a large pots? Thanks!
Sharon,
I’d wait and dig them a little closer to spring, but before they leaf out. Best thing is to leave them in the burlap, bury the balls half way in the ground, then mulch over them. But keep in mind that they will root into the ground so I wouldn’t move them to the permanent location until after they lose their leaves in the fall.
Can I safely put them in large pots with the burlap and mulch and keep them watered? If I move mid summer and they’ve rooted into the ground through the burlap then I’m back to square one. Also, how wide should I begin to dig the hole? Are there any special tools needed? Would soaking the ground around it make it easier to dig? Thanks!
You can, but they’ll be heavier than all get out and you have to be careful that they are not too wet in the pots. I put smaller ones in pots one time and they were a bear to deal with. Put them on plastic so they don’t root in, don’t let the balls touch, then mulch over them. Tools? A really good digging spade and a spud bar. I show those tools on this site, do a search.
Hi Mike,
My husband and i are putting an addition onto our house and have to move a beautiful japanese maple that is about 15 years old or so. I insisted on transplanting it beacuse i cant bear to see it cut down. It is October and we live in New Jersey and we havent frozen yet, but we wont be able to wait until full freeze. Do you think we are close enough to the cold sesaon for our tree to survive? We will finally be hitting a low of 37 this week, but its not consistantly cold just yet.
Darlene,
Later would be better but if the tree has lost it’s leaves it likely will be fine. I would wait until the very last minute to move it.
Hi Mike,
I live upstate New York. I found a very small Japanese Maple at my mom’s house. Its about 5 inches tall, has both Red and Green leaves. I carefully removed it from the ground and placed it in a pot with good soil in it. I would like to know when is the best time to plant it on my front lawn? Reading through the posts here…it sounds like I should when the tree is dormant ? or is that for more mature trees. I appreciate your time. Thank you.
Frank,
There really is no time frame for planting a tree. The time frame is for digging or transplanting because that often involves root damage. But being so small I’d plant it in a protected, partially shade spot until 24″ tall, then move it later when completely dormant. Moving it to full sun now might not be good.
Hi Mike,
Thank you for your article on transplanting a maple tree. Here is our dilemma, we planted a very young maple tree in a pot, 1-1/2 feet by 1-1/2 wide, and then submerged a good deal of the pot into a small slope in our front yard, don’t ask why, because I am not sure why we did that. We probably had a good reason back then. The tree has a trunk of about 2″ to 2 1/2″ diameter 6″ from the base. The tree and pot are on a very small slope and has been like this for about 3 years. All was well until last year when I started noticing standing water in the pot, I would regularly scoop it out. This year it bloomed (leafed out) in all its glory. I continued to find standing water in the pot from the irrigation system in the yard. I would scoop it all out but I was very worried. With good reason, all of it’s leaves curled and died after it was all leafed. although there are a few partially green leaves here and there. The bark is still greenish and the tree is alive. I am afraid it may not live under these circumstances until November when we would hope to get our first deeper freeze. I am guessing the roots are all balled up in the pot and have blocked the hole at the bottom and it is not only root bound but potentially the roots are all dying due to all of the moisture its been sitting in for so long. We want to dig the pot out of the ground with the tree intact in the pot, then pull the tree out of the pot very carefully and replant in the exact same spot all at once. Our soil is definitely a clay style soil but has supported other maples in the backyard well. Is it possible to do the transplanting now, which is my preference because I am afraid it may not last….or do I wait until November to do the same process hoping it can last until then?
Alicia,
I for sure would wait. That tree has likely rooted right through that pot in several places. The issue with the tree might be verticulum wilt, not so much the pot or the water. Even if you get that tree out of the ground, I’m not sure you are going to easily remove that pot but you can try. I’d wait until the tree is completely dormant.
Oh darn, not good. I’m off to prune some branches to check for signs of VW. I’ve researched the heck out of VW, we are wondering if that is what has been destroying our tomato plants for years, or at least the tomato version of wilt. Uggggg.
Hi Mike, I went out and cut a few branches to see if the inner bark had the tell tale sign of dark rings. One branch was perfectly healthy and fine. The other seemed to have a hole down it on one side. As if a quarter of the inner branch was kind of missing. Very interesting. We shall work on transplanting
it in the dormant season and hope VW is not the culprit.
Greetings Alicia
I can’t speak to VW, but, perhaps I can offer an explanation as to why the tree was potted and then sunk into the ground. I bonsai. It’s not unusual for us to sink our pots into the ground during the winter to keep young deciduous trees’ roots from freezing. I imagine the same might be done with any tree one would want to keep as a potted tree that needs to go through dormancy and the plant hardiness zone is on the edge. The rule of thumb for keeping your tree roots from freezing is to understand that the hardiness zone will go down one zone if your tree is potted. If a Japanese maple will survive in-ground town to zone 6, if your tree is in a regular pot, it will most likely experience hardiness zone 5. There are various ways to deal with this problem and one of them is to sink the pot into the ground for the season.
I hope you had success with your maple. .
Hi Mike,
Thanks for this information. I was wondering what your thoughts are about moving a 10-12 year old Bloodgood at this time of year. In a perfect world I would wait until this fall (I live in Michigan), but I am transplanting from another house and the current owner wants it out of her yard yesterday. I will be moving the tree about three miles and immediately planting. Should I burlap it for transport? The diameter of the trunk is about 3″ (6″ above the ground) and I have to move it this weekend (early June). I have read through your comments and believe I should dig the root ball at least 3′ in diameter, but any other advise/confirmation you can provide would be a big help. Thanks.
Micah,
First instinct is that the tree is going to die. But with that said, water the root zone really well before digging. Dig out as far as possible. Burlap probably isn’t necessary only to hold the ball intact, depending on the soil. Ideally keep the tree in deep shade after digging it and wet the leaves often. If you plant it right away think about how you might shade the tree. I understand the situation but I am totally against moving a tree this time of year. I know some have done it, but I’d never try. Nurseries never dig deciduous plants this time of year.
Thanks Mike,
I will be back to let you know how it goes.
First thanks so much for posting this article. It’s very helpful. We have a big Japanese maple on front yard. The previous owner of the house planted it about 50 years ago. I just measure the circumference of the trunks. Actually there are main trunks split from the ground. One is about 4’7″ and another one 3’1″. The tree is a little close to the house. We are planning our adding and remodeling on the house. We may need put a few concrete stake into the ground. The nearest one will be 5′ far away from the board of the trunk. We really don’t want hurt the tree so we would like to know how risky it will be? We consulted an arborist but he suggested us to dig in and see how big the root is. But this is really not practical solution considering the cost of design and construction. We almost give up to adding plan in order to keep the tree safe. But I also still want to make my mom’s room bigger. I’m glad that I found your article. That will be appreciate a lot if you can give us any concept about the size of the root or any idea and suggestions.
Thanks so much !
Rachel,
Here’s the problem, in all of those years this tree has never been root pruned. so the majority of the roots are way out by the drip line of the tree and very few if any fibrous roots within the area that would make up the root ball. I agree that this move would be difficult and risky. If it’s a matter of losing the tree completely or moving it, then by all means try moving it when dormant. I won’t say it’s impossible, but I don’t want to promise you success either. I’d say you have to dig a trench at least 7′ from the base of the tree which will be more than 14′ in diameter. Maybe more. Then the tree is going to be very heavy and you will need a machine to move it.
Thanks Mike! We probably won’t move the tree. It’s such a huge tree. My dilemma here is if we should continue the addition of the house toward the tree or we just give up the plan. If we add the space toward the tree, the nearest concrete stake in ground is 5 feet to the tree. The stake is about 1 feet by 1 feet. I’m worried if it will hurt the root too much and the tree will die:-( If the addition construction let the tree take so much risk we may have to give up the addition. Thanks!!
I know my question is out of the scope of this article because I really can’t find any help or advice here. Could you give me a little estimation based on your experience about what will happen to the tree if we do the adding 5 feet to the tree? Does the tree have much chance to survive? Thanks!!
Rachel,
I don’t think I understand your question. If you can move the tree without cutting any large roots the tree has a chance, but I’d still consider it risky if the tree is not dormant.
Hi Mike, sorry that my question was confusing. I have a 50 years old Janapese maple in front yard. I am not planning to move the tree. I’m planning some new construction to the house. We need dig a hole to underground to add concrete stake. The hole is about one feet by one feet and it is 5 feet away from the tree. My question is if you think the digging such a hole near the tree will hurt the root too much and cause the tree die? Thanks!
Rachel,
If all you dig is hole 12″ by 12″ I think it will be fine because it will be supported by all of the other roots, and hopefully you won’t hit a really large root.
Hi Mike!
Fantastic article. We are trying to save and transplant three beautiful Japanese Maples from an inheritied family home situated in a 7b zone.. We would like to transplant them to the front (south facing) part of the home.
It is November 21, 2016 and we would like to move all three now. However, we are afraid that we may do something wrong.
Q: What do you think about digging and transplanting three Japanese maples (each are about 40 years old) at this time of year; November ?
Q: If we do dig and transplant all three Japanese Maples, according to your instructions, are there any tips you can offer to heighten the likelihood that they will survive the “move”?
Ps In New York City the temperature is about a high of 50 and low of 40 degrees Fahrenheit until the end of November 2016.
What is your professional opinion?
Thank you so much!
Christian
Christian,
A few points.
1. They are 40 years old and most of the roots extend beyond the area you will be able to dig. So the question is, how many roots are in the zone that you will be excavating. That’s makes it a lot more risky than a tree only 10 or 12 years old.
2. They need to be dormant. Here in Ohio we experienced our first freeze this weekend and I really wish it had dipped a bit lower. Water in a bucket barely froze. I need that freeze to trigger plants into dormancy.
3. What is the caliper of these trees. Tree caliper is the diameter of the trunk measured 6″ off the ground. You should have 11″ of root ball per one inch of caliper. What if that’s not impossible? Then it is what it is, just do the best you can.
4. Once moved be sure to not plant them too deep, the top of the root ball should be at least 2″ above grade. Do not put them in a wet area, do not backfill around them with soil from another area. Back fill the native soil as to not create a drainage problem.
5. Proceed as soon as you think the trees are dormant, or at least have lost all of their leaves.
I’m guess this will work just fine unless the trees are just too large and you can’t get enough root ball.
Hi Mike,
I purchased a 15 gallon Sango-kaku tree with a trunk about 2-3″ in diameter. I live in Orange County California, where we are a solid zone 10 and we have heavy clay soil. My neighbor has a large JM that’s been there for 30+ years in full sun, so I know they will grow in my area. The nursery owner says to dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and amend my soil with acidic planting mix as well as cactus mix to increase drainage. I see you have mentioned to just back fill with the native clay. What should I do?
WM,
Only you can decide what to do but here’s my take on that. You dig this great big wide hole, fill it with a well draining soil mix. Then as water runs across the surface of your yard it has no choice but fall into the hole because of the well draining mix. But then where can it go? Nowhere. It just sits in the bottom of the hole and can’t escape because of the clay bottom. My take is to plant the tree at least 2″ above grade then mound the clay up over the root ball so it sheds excess water away from the roots of the tree. Japanese maples hate wet feet, cannot stand to have soggy roots. Excess water around the roots can and will kill a beautiful Japanese maple.
Hi Mike,
I have just found out that I will be moving this summer and I have two Japanese Maples that were planted to commentate my children’s christening. The trees are now 15 and 13 years old respectively. They appear to have buds, so I assume they are coming out of dormancy. I have no choice but to dig them up for our move as I will not still be living here when the trees go back into dormancy. Would I be better off to dig them now or wait until summer, just before I move. Once dig i plant to place them in large planters for protection. Any advise you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Sharon,
You have to dig them right now, before those buds open. If you do that now you should be fine, but if you wait until summer they likely will not survive.
Thank you Mike!
Mike, my grandmother planted two acers in her garden when she first moved in 60 years. They have developed into beautiful specimens both with trunk diameters of about 10″. The problem is we have recently put her into care and the property is sold and i would like to transplant at least one of these trees. I live in the United Kingdom and it is the middle of summer here but i only have 2 weeks to get them out or leave them behind. Desperate for advice as i am concerned all my efforts will be in vain.
Thanks Paul
Paul,
I honestly think those trees don’t have a prayer if you move them now. They are way too big to be moved under ideal conditions, let alone during the growing season. Sorry to tell you that.
Possible to move when the 60 years old tree is dormant. I have the similar tree which is about 50 years old. It’s too close to the house and we thought about moving it to the center of the front yard. I was told it’s impossible to move such a big tree at any circumstance.
Hi Mike!
I hope this is not a repeat question but didn’t see it in the most recent questions posted.
When you say a tree needs to be dormant when dug up to be transplanted, can this also be done just before Spring hits? I guess I’m wondering what triggers the tree to come out of being dormant.
We have a lace leaf that is about 4 feet high and has 5-6 foot canopy. It is currently in the middle of our yard with strange placement and we want to move it more to the corner of our yard. This week it will freeze and so I feel confident that it will soon for sure be dormant…it has already shed all of its leaves. But if it is dormant all winter, what is the harm in digging it up right when the freezing temperatures ease up in the early early Spring? Are there signs that a tree is coming out of a dormant state we can watch for and allocate this project to next year?
I’m just trying to buy more time before we make a final decision on where it will be placed since we only just moved here! (Nervous laugh!)
Thank you for any insight on this. Great article and details much appreciated!
Andy,
Here in northern Ohio we can typical dig or transplant until about mid April. You are safe until the tree starts to make leaves. Swollen buds are fine, you can still dig. But once those bud unfurl the digging season is over.
Hi,
This is really helpful so firstly thanks.
We are looking to move a Japanese maple firstly for space as it is potted and outgrown (another) large pot but secondly to get rid of an ant infestation.
Reading above I have to wait as it is too late in the year but is there anything else I can do instead please?
Thanks
Matt
Matt,
If the tree is potted and you can get it out of the pot with cutting or damaging any large roots, you should be able to do it now. Water it well before you start. Some of the roots should be at least disturbed to break the root bound pattern that it has going now. Shade would be a big benefit for a while after you disturb it. If you cut or break too many large roots in the process you can shock the tree.
I have a couple of Japanese Maple trees that I dug i the spring, they are about 6 or 8 inches tall they are in pots. Do I leave them outside this winter or take them inside?
Shirley,
They have to be outside so they can go dormant. Bury the pots in the ground for the winter.
I want move a jm tree that has about an inch and a half diameter trunk. Some buds started blossoming already but we had a freeze two nights ago for a couple hours. Is it dormant enough to move or should I wait until next year?
Anthony,
That’s the million dollar question, but if it is not leafed out, I’d say it’s safe to move.
Mike,
I haves young healthy bloodgood, planted sat summer… About 2, maybe 3 inches at the base. It’s already putting nice leaves out, but we are going to move and I’d like to take it with me…. It’s in a way too sunny spot and was scorched last summer. Any chance I can pot in a large container at this point and keep it alive? Either way it needs to be moved because of the summer sun. Thank you 🙂
Msrcy,
Do you mean 3″ diameter? That’s a big Japanese maple and moving it is going to do root damage. That has to be done when the tree is dormant. If it’s not dormant you very well could lose it. But maybe you mean a much smaller tree? A smaller tree could be move with minimal root damage.
Well, the very base seems to be about 2-3 inches but then it narrows. The tree is only about 4 feet tall and has a narrow drip line. The container I took it from last summer was 16″ in diameter. I know it could struggle, but I’m certain it will burn up this summer where it is.
Marcy,
Since it was in a container last summer it’s probably not as rooted in as I thought. Still, dig way out to severe as few roots as possible.
Thank you for your feedback… Great, helpful page on these trees.
Thanks for all of your information Mike. I have a Sango Kaku JM that I planted in the front yard about 5 years ago. It is still relatively small with the drip line about 7 feet in diameter. I have since re-landscaped the front yard and now the base of the JM is about 6 inches below the surrounding soil. Close to the base I’ve kept the soil low but 2 feet further out I am wondering if the extra soil above the base will hurt the tree’s growth. I am willing to try to raise the tree and fill in with extra soil. Any suggestions?
Tom,
Just to be safe I’d raise the tree, it will do so much better. Do it now while the tree is dormant.
MIke I have a beautiful JM that I need to move as it’s too close to our house. The trunk is about 7″ thick close to the ground and branches out just above the ground. There’s about 24″ of space on one side and 48′ on the other of the trunk so I think the roots are kinda restricted to small-ish area. The tree however has thrived very well. I”m thinking I need to dig out as large a root ball as I can handle to save it. DIgging so close to the house foundation is gonna be tricky if not close to impossible but I think I can manage. I plan to wait til our first hard freeze and try then. Our soil isn’t great but as I said the thing has done really well where it is. I plan to follow your recommendations as to depth and watering but wanted your thoughts on sun and shade. And any other tips you might have. Wish an old guy luck as I’m gonna need it!
Allen,
You are going to need some luck. That’s going to be a job. You really need to dig at least 24″ away from the base of the tree if not farther. You need to get that many roots and you need to be out that far just so you can cut the roots that you do encounter. A Japanese maple that size will do fine in full sun to partial shade. Your timing is good, dig away after that hard freeze. I too have one almost that big to move. It’s work.
Dear Mike
I have managed to save a Japanese Maple Bush from sure destruction as is on a lot where a new house is being built..Now all it’s leaves have fallen. In Vancouver BC we do have freezes but are unpredictable, usually not less than -5 C and short duration.. I fear for the safety of the bush.
Hence I am planning on moving the tree quite soon. It is at least 10 yrs old but not large as been pruned in height to about 3 ft.. ( bonsai look) When its leaves were on it was about 4 ft wide..
Would it be better to leave the bush in ground for longer? It will have to be moved across the street and a few houses down..
thank you very much
.
Barbara,
Even though the leaves are all off, I’d still wait until the end of November if at all possible to move the tree. You could probably move it now, but waiting is better. You’ll need a really sharp digging spade, the roots are very hard.
Mike, I’ve got a mature (not sure how old) Japanese Maple about 4-5 paces from my from my front door. Its roots are like petrified wood. I tried trimming a couple with my chain saw and the chain didn’t fair well at all. I’d like to move it, but don’t believe that’s an option since the base of the tree is only about 3 feet from the concrete walk outside my front door.
Would the tree suffer if I were to trench around the walk which surrounds the tree?
I’m afraid it’s roots may start damaging the slab and other than attempting to remove or transplant, I don’t see another option.
I’ve thought about trenching as deep as possible if I rented the right trencher then pour concrete or insert heavy beams or ties to keep the roots away from the house.
Your thoughts?
Scott, Central California
BTW – I almost did what your son did with his JM, but mine is quite a bit larger and my better half said, other than trimming or mild pruning, DONT YOU DARE!
Scott,
Sounds like you don’t have a lot of options so you have to take some chances with this tree. If you are going to trench around it, you might as well move the tree if at all possible after doing so. Just do this when the tree is completely dormant, after a good hard freeze, not a frost, but a hard freeze. Chances are the tree will do fine, but I obviously can’t promise that.
Make it into a bonsai tree
I moved into a home in Aug 2014 and there is a beautiful Japanese Maple in the front yard. The previous owners planted it too close to the house (in my opinion) and I would like to transplant it to the center of the yard, where there is a large tree of some kind. I understand the tree that is currently in the center has surface spreading roots and the tree could easily fall over in heavy wind or quite possibly the roots can harm the concrete slab. When I cut this large tree down, will the roots I could not remove, disturb the Japanese Maple? Should I not replant it in the same location?
I’m in Northern California and it’s extremely hot this time of year. I won’t be cutting down the large tree and transplanting the JM until Jan 2016, I guess. I’m not sure when it will get below 30 degrees.
Thank you!!
Paula,
After you remove the other tree have the stump ground out, then remove the grindings and use them as mulch elsewhere in the yard. Replace the grindings with good soil, creating a mounded bed, put the Japanese maple in the center of the mound.
I’m in a similar situation as one of the other comments below. I received my Jalanese Maple when I lost a loved one. We are moving and I must take the tree. It’s still smaller, but we live in Atlanta and it’s clearly not dormant. This worries me but I hope we can do it.
I had the idea of potting it in a giant pot so we can continue to move it with our family through the years. Is there any harm in doing this?
Jana,
Plants are usually happiest in the ground, but in Atlanta, compared to Ohio, a tree in a pot is much safer through the winter. When you move it dig out far enough that you don’t severe any roots.
Thank you Mike! I should have mentioned its a dwarf maple, so hopefully the root ball will be managible to transplant. We will dig wide!
Mike, we did everything as you mentioned when transplanting my Japanese red maple tree. It was a gift when my dad passed away, so I brought it with me when I moved. We waited until after the first frost to move it and dug it up and replanted it the same day. I did water it a couple of times a day the first week. It is almost June and it hasn’t leafed out yet. It doesn’t look good. I see buds on it, but as I mentioned, it hasn’t leafed yet. Is it dead? Is there anything I can do? I haven’t pruned it yet either.
Diana
Diana,
Transplanting season begins after the first hard freeze where temps dip well below freezing. Not a frost. A frost won’t trigger hardy plants into dormancy. But what might really be going on is just winter damage from the very hard winter. I’ve seen a lot of winter damage in Japanese maples this spring. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
I have successfully moved shrubs in the August heat…had to. It was either move the plant or lose it to construction. When moving it, I carefully dug around the roots over time, watering well each and every time. I’m guessing it took me 3 days to remove the shrub, which was a very tall lilac bush.
When I moved it, I had the hole ready and it was also kept well watered. Once transplanted, I continued to make sure the lilac was well watered until it went dormant, than watched it carefully in the spring. While it showed some stress, it survived and thrived.
I learned gardening from my mother, who at best, was a haphazard gardener. I remember her deciding to propagate things by simply hacking off branches and sticking them in buckets of water, set them in the basement and forget about them. They shriveled up and died. Or so it appeared. Mom patiently waited. And one fine day, life would show again and mom would happily plant her new little plants – never knowing she was doing it all wrong.
We had a wide variety of shrubs mom had hacked at one time or another and propagated in her simple way. I don’t believe she ever bought a shrub, but simply brought home hacked off branches of whatever she liked. (with permission from the original owner, who never seemed to see a problem with it either) All she ever had was the belief they would survive and grow. Somehow, they always did.
I must admit, I’ve tried her methods and had some luck. Not always. I guess I just don’t have the faith that things will indeed survive that mom had. But I knew the lilac bush would make it. And it did….
Suze,
You are right, you can did some things during the growing season but it is risky and if not done completely right, and over three days like you did, it is extremely stressful on the plant. There are a lot of gardeners like your mom. They have a touch that others don’t. Or so it seems.
Now I’m confused… Do you transplant before or after the last freeze ?
I really LOVE your idea of the calendar… Because if you don’t make a post about stuff… I’m afraid to do anything BEFORE your ok !! I’m being serious about this too !!
Make sure you add things in about fertilizing, feedings, transplanting, starting seeds outdoors, indoors, when it’s safe to move outdoors, pruning, rooting… OMG I could go on and on…Make sure you let us know if there’s a different time to do stuff in different zones.. you could even add a zone map and just use numbers or little line drawings on the days/months for the corresponding legend at the bottom of each month… I’m psyched to see what you make, because I REALLY need this calendar !!
You are my plant GOD !!
I want to thank you for ALL the time you put into this for all of us !!
Kathy
Mike,
Happy St Patrick’s day.
Kathy,
I’ll do my best on the calender, I have some other things to post first. You have to transplant when plants are dormant. That doesn’t happen until the first hard freeze of the late fall, early winter. So you wait for the freeze, then there are always a few weeks of good working weather, you transplant then. The ground freezes which is really the only thing that stops digging and transplanting, then it can resume again in the early spring, but only until the plants leaf out. In zone 5 for instance the transplanting season runs from mid lat November thru mid April. In a warmer zone it would be shorter, Probably December thru mid March.
Upper Wisconsin, we still have frozen ground. Will digging the tree out when the ground is still frozen or a little frozen harm the tree? thanks.
Bert,
You don’t want to dig a tree bare root when the temperatures are below freezing because the roots would be exposed to the freezing temps. Temperature should be above 32 degrees F. If the ground is actually frozen, you won’t get a spade into it.
I planted a Red Bud about 5 yrs. ago. I don’t think that i dug a deep enough hole and didn’t add any compost to the hole and loose dirt. The tree is still alive, but not thriving. Is there anything that I can do at this time?..Thanks….
Pete
Pete,
It’s possible that you dug too deep a hole. As long as you covered the top of the root ball with soil, that’s as deep as you want the tree planted. You don’t want it any deeper than that. Most people plant trees way too deep. Right now while the tree is dormant you can dig around the tree and work some really rich organic compost into the soil around the root zone of the tree. Be careful about fertilizers. The last thing a stressed out tree needs is fertilizer.
Mike,
This is a off of the current subject, but I have seen videos that you post of your house with all of the landscaping, which looks very impressive by the way, and I was wondering what direction does your house face? My reason for asking is because it looks like you have some of your azaleas and coral bells in full sun. If so, I would like to try the same thing with those same plants here in Missouri.
Thanks!
Courtney,
You are correct and many of my evergreen azaleas and coral bells are in full sun or close to it. The azaleas do fine, most of the coral bells do fine. Any coral bells with yellow leaves will not do well in full sun, but most of mine with darker or multi colored leaves do fine with a lot of sun.
Any tips on transplanting evergreens & rhododendrons? Also in late winter? Thanks.
Irene,
The process is really the same. Do them in early spring. Once they make new growth they should not be dug. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/09/growing-propagating-and-selling-canadian-hemlock-tsuga-canadensis/
Do you have any suggestions for riding my backyard of the evasive bamboo that my neighbor planted. It is hendering me from landscaping my yard. I really want a vegetable garden but I’m afaid the bamboo has ruined my chances of that.
Rosa,
It take diligence to get rid of bamboo, but it can be done. Start by cutting the bamboo roots near the property line. Remove all of the bamboo that you see, you have to get it out of there. Then as new sprouts appear you have to stay on top of those, digging or spraying until they no longer appear.
hi there, probably in the wrong spot for asking this question. but will go a head anyway. interested and excited to try some Japanese maple trees in the spring. have been doing a lot of reading on this site and all the info is great and a little overwhelming for me, seeings how this is all new to me. all of these seedlings that are talked about, the ones that are cheap, 1.50 and such, are these plugs , or whips. are whips used more for grafting? or are they what I would need to start some trees, or would large plugs be better. where would I inquire about theses seedlings. any info would be great . I apologize if I am posting in the wrong area.
thanks, kris.
hi there, probably in the wrong spot for asking this question. but will go a head anyway. interested and excited to try some Japanese maple trees in the spring. have been doing a lot of reading on this site and all the info is great and a little overwhelming for me, seeings how this is all new to me. all of these seedlings that are talked about, the ones that are cheap, 1.50 and such, are these plugs , or whips. are whips used more for grafting? or are they what I would need to start some trees, or would large plugs be better. where would I inquire about theses seedlings. any info would be great . I apologize if I am posting in the wrong area.
thanks, kris.