Moving an Elder Tree

Bear Stone · Sun Apr 18, 2004 7:02 am

Hi everyone,

Can I ask your advice please...
I have an Elder at the top of the garden. There are two trunks from the same root each measuring about six inches in diameter. One trunk has a fork about 8 inches above the ground.
The tree has been allowed to grow naturally having long branches that overhang. My wife and I would like to cut it back making it a bush.

In short, would it be possible to cut it back and move it?

My wife likes the idea of it going in a very large pot in the front garden - it would be reasonably sheltered there.

Many thanks,

Bear

The Helpful Gardener · Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:10 am

Elder (Sambucus spp.) is such a weed that you should be able to do that quickly and easily without incident. Cut those trunks flush to the ground, and root prune (with a shovel) two opposite sides. In a month, do the two sides you hadn't root pruned, give it a month and move it to your container (A BIG one). Great bird plant and one of the natives I use quite a bit for just that reason...

Scott

Guest · Mon Apr 19, 2004 5:41 pm

Thanks for the info. - we will probably move the tree around October time when it is dormant - do you think this would be a good idea?

Many Thanks,

Bear

The Helpful Gardener · Mon Apr 19, 2004 7:14 pm

Not really Bear. Damaging roots right before winter isn't the best way to go about it. I'd stick to the timetable I gave you; a little late is better than a lot late. You would probably get away with it if you did your root prunings months before, but I'd worry about the plant storing energy to the roots that you are then going to hack off. It's all a gamble, but you can fix the odds in your favor...

Scott

Guest · Tue Apr 20, 2004 5:21 am

Hi Scott - thanks.

We're concerned about moving the tree - we recognise the risk though. You mention I might get away with it if I had root pruned a month before.
Is there a recognised time to do this sort of thing - a best time of year as now is a little late? I am a little green when it comes to garden projects. We would rather wait and go "by the book" if it would give us a better chance of success. What do you think?

Thanks for your help Scott,

Bear

Guest · Tue Apr 20, 2004 5:22 am

Hi Scott - thanks.

We're concerned about moving the tree - we recognise the risk though. You mention I might get away with it if I had root pruned a month before.
Is there a recognised time to do this sort of thing - a best time of year as now is a little late? I am a little green when it comes to garden projects. We would rather wait and go "by the book" if it would give us a better chance of success. What do you think?

Thanks for your help Scott,

Bear

The Helpful Gardener · Wed Apr 21, 2004 7:05 pm

The best time to do this would be to do your root pruning on two opposite sides in fall, do the other two sides as soon as you can dig after the frost is out of the ground, and move it before it leafs out. A lot of professional growers do it in one foul swoop right after the leaves drop; you could go that route, but these guys are using a digging machine that assures a nice clean ball and they've root pruned for the whole season prior to digging (if you root pruned all this season and moved it in the fall, that should work). More than one way to skin a cat; my instructor in nurseryman qualifications loved to tell stories about moving things out of season. I am a big fan of treating the transplant with mycorrhizal fungii supplements as they help support root systems in early development. Big scary job; you may want to leave this one to the pro's...

Scott