Learning how to transplant shrub oaks will save your plants, as transplanting them incorrectly can be too stressful for them. Though the Fagaceae family oaks are hardy, they’d appreciate you for moving them gently.
You have to consider a few things such as growing conditions as well as the optimal season to transplant the oaks. You can learn about everything you need to know about transplanting your oaks by reading this article.
JUMP TO TOPIC
- How to Transplant Shrub Oak
- 1. Wait Until the Best Time
- 2. Gather Everything You Need
- 3. Consider the Temperature Needs of Your Oaks
- 4. Consider the Light Needs of Your Oaks
- 5. Prepare the New Planting Spot
- 6. Prepare the Oaks for Transplanting
- 7. Dig Out the Oaks
- 8. Transport the Oaks
- 9. Plant Your Oaks
- 10. Water the Oaks
- 11. Fertilize the Shrub Oaks
- 12. Watch and Wait
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- References
How to Transplant Shrub Oak
To transplant shrub oak, wait until the appropriate time and then consider the growing conditions of the oaks. If the new location is suitable, transplant the oaks and ensure that you water and feed them as often as you can. Don’t stop caring for them.
1. Wait Until the Best Time
The active growing season of shrub oaks as well as so many other plants is in the summer and spring months. Though you may think that the growing season is the best time to transplant your oaks so that they will grow quickly, the growing season is not the right time. When plants are growing actively, disrupting their growth by transplanting them can be extra stressful for them. Therefore, transplant them in their dormant season.
Transplant your plants in early spring. In this case, they will start growing as the growing season starts in just a few weeks to a month. If you’d love to transplant them in late summer or early fall, it is fine. However, ensure that you do so at least one month before winter so that the trees will adapt to their new environment before the harsh season starts.
2. Gather Everything You Need
To successfully transplant your oaks from one place to another, you need a few items. Some of the items that you need are:
- Shovel or spade: for digging holes. Also, to remove your shrubs from the ground.
- Wheelbarrow or truck: to transport your shrub from one location to another.
- Disinfectant: use a plant-safe disinfectant to keep your tools clean for the plants.
- Burlap: to wrap the shrub roots, especially if you will be exposing the shrubs for a long time.
- Water: for watering the shrubs before and after transplanting them.
- Fertilizer: you have to keep your shrubs well-fed.
- Pruning shears: just in case you want to prune your oaks while transplanting them.
These items are easy to find. Ensure you gather them before you start the transplanting process.
3. Consider the Temperature Needs of Your Oaks
Before you bring your oak trees to a new place, you have to be sure that the place is suitable. One of the growing conditions that you must consider is the temperature needs of the plants. When you plant your oaks in a place with unsuitable temperatures, the oaks will not grow. Temperature is vital, as it controls the growth of your oaks and other plants. Therefore, always consider temperature first.
Shrub oaks grow optimally at 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the average temperature of the new location, especially in the growing season. You can also check the USDA hardiness zone of your oaks. If the new location is outside the USDA hardiness zone of your oak of choice, you cannot grow the shrubs without growing them in a controlled environment.
4. Consider the Light Needs of Your Oaks
Another important growing condition to consider for oak trees and shrubs before transplanting them is their light needs. Every plant relies on light for energy through the process of photosynthesis. If the light is not sufficient, the plants will either grow very slowly or die. You don’t want that to happen.
Grow your shrub oaks so that they can get around eight hours of sunlight daily, especially in their growing season. They can also tolerate six hours of daily sun. These shrubs need direct sunlight, so remove obstacles in the new location if any will block the sun from reaching your plants.
5. Prepare the New Planting Spot
Before you bring your oaks to the new location, you have to prepare the place first. Soil preparation involves a lot of activities. For example, make the soil suitable if it isn’t. Consider adding compost, coffee grounds, perlite, and other products that can make the soil more suitable for your shrubs.
You also have to make holes for the shrubs. The number of holes to dig depends on the number of shrubs you are transplanting. After digging the holes, water the soil deeply. This will help your shrubs stay hydrated after you transplant them into the soil.
6. Prepare the Oaks for Transplanting
It is almost time to transplant your shrubs. However, you need to be sure that they are ready before you transplant them. Look at the shrubs and select the young and healthy ones. Examine your selected shrubs and search for pests. You don’t want to introduce pests into your yard, so ensure that the shrubs are free from pests before bringing them to the yard.
If the oaks have dead or weak leaves, prune them off. Be sure to use very clean pruning tools so that you don’t make your shrubs sick. After preparing the shrubs for transplanting, water them deeply. Watering your shrubs will keep them hydrated while making the soil soft and easier to dig.
7. Dig Out the Oaks
It is finally time to start some digging. Using your shovel, dig a trench just under or a little bit larger than the shrub’s outermost canopy. With this, you can map out the part of the soil that you are digging. You are also trying to save the roots that are nearest to the tree. After making the trench, you can start digging out the soil within the trench.
Be very careful and try to avoid roots when digging the soil. If you can, use a trowel to remove the soil just around your shrub’s roots. As long as the soil is soft and the shrub is young, this process of digging won’t take a while. Remove the shrub from the soil and then keep it properly on the ground, trying not to hurt the roots.
8. Transport the Oaks
Transporting your shrubs is easy. Use a truck or wheelbarrow according to what you have and the distance between the shrub’s location and the new location. If the shrubs will be out of the soil for a very long time, wrap their roots using a burlap so that they don’t get dehydrated while you transport them. Also, place the shrub gently on the wheelbarrow or truck so that you don’t damage the roots.
To avoid stressing your shrubs, transplant and transport them as early as you can. When the sun is fully out, the heat from the atmosphere can stress your shrubs and you don’t want that. If you can, keep the entire shrub under a shade so that it won’t be exposed to the hot sun.
9. Plant Your Oaks
After transplanting your shrub oak to the new location, recheck the holes and ensure that they are big enough to accommodate the roots of your shrubs. If the holes are not deep or wide enough, make them larger so that when you are inserting your shrub roots into the holes, no root will get broken or destroyed. When you are sure that the holes are suitable, you can start inserting your shrubs into them.
While inserting the roots into the holes, start filling the roots with soil. Add soil gently so that there won’t be a lot of air pockets in the soil.
Arrange your shrubs beautifully in your yard. You can grow them close to other types of oaks such as red oaks. Just ensure that you plant them in strategic locations that will bring out their beauty.
10. Water the Oaks
After planting your oaks, you have to water them. Watering newly planted will help them stay hydrated so that they can start adapting to their new environment. Watering them will also remove all the air pockets around their roots so that the entire root system will have access to the nutrients in the soil. Water the oaks deeply so that way can reach the deepest roots.
So long as the soil is suitable (i.e., well-drained), you can’t overwater the oaks, as the excess water will simply drain off. After watering them the first time, water your oaks every two to three days until they start growing. Don’t stop watering your plants, as they need water for optimal growth.
11. Fertilize the Shrub Oaks
You also have to fertilize the oaks, though this is optional. If the soil is nutritious, you can skip fertilizing the oaks for now. However, if there are little to no nutrients in the soil, ensure you add some nutrients so that your shrubs can grow well. Also, remember to occasionally fertilize the oaks.
You can use any type of fertilizer for your oaks. However, note that inorganic fertilizer usually has readily available nutrients for the oaks. This means that your oaks will receive the nutrients immediately after you fertilize them with inorganic nutrients. As for organic fertilizer, it might take a while before your oaks will get all the nutrients that they need.
12. Watch and Wait
After you transplant trees, it might take a while before they will show signs of growth. However, you don’t have to abandon them. Continue caring for them by watering and fertilizing them, using mulch, removing pests, etc. In time, you will see your oaks growing. Awesome, right?
Frequently Asked Questions
– Can You Transplant Mature Shrub Oaks?
Of course, you can transplant mature shrub oaks. While you can transplant mature shrubs, note that young ones are easier to transplant and more likely to adapt quickly after transplanting them. Therefore, go for the young ones before considering mature shrubs so that you don’t stress yourself too much.
– What Transplanting Mistakes Should You Avoid?
Some transplanting mistakes you should avoid are transplanting your oaks in the wrong season, not considering their growing conditions, damaging their roots while transplanting them, not sterilizing your tools, and not watering the shrubs afterward. Some of these mistakes can lead to the loss of your plants, so stay careful.
– How Quickly Will Transplanted Shrub Oaks Completely Adapt?
Transplanted shrub oaks will completely adapt to their new environment in around a month after transplanting. So long as the growing conditions are suitable and your trees have enough roots, live oak trees will adapt quickly. However, note that you might have to wait until the growing season comes.
– How Can You Tell That Your Shrub Oaks Are Adapting?
You can tell that your shrub oaks are adapting to their new environment when you see new leaves growing after a few weeks. The presence of new leaves tells that the roots have anchored in the soil. Before the growth of new leaves, old leaves may fall off.
Conclusion
Now, transplanting live oak saplings and mature trees will be super easy for you, right? Here are a few things to remember from this article:
- Transplant your shrubs in early spring or during their dormant season.
- Ensure that the temperature and light exposure in the new location are suitable for your oaks.
- Plant oaks by covering their roots while eliminating the air pockets in the soil.
- Water and feed your shrubs after you transplant them.
- Don’t give up when caring for your oaks, they will most likely grow.
You are surely ready to start transplanting oaks in your garden, right? Remember to stick to the points in this article.