Taking my garden to a new house.

downshifter

There's a likelihood that I might be moving house later this year, probably November-ish. I have lived in my present house for nearly 10 years and have established the garden from scratch. I would like to take as much as I can from here. The house is rented so digging plants up is allowed, unlike houses for sale.All are mine, none belong to my landlord.

Are there any general principles I should follow? I have a mix of annuals (they don't really matter) perennials, bulbs, shrubs etc , it's around a third of an acre. I also have lots of fruit bushes/strawberries and the usual veg, most of which will have been picked and frozen or eaten by then, but others still growing (winter cabbage, leeks, parsnips etc ) Also herbs.

Is there anything I should do now to prepare the plants for this upheaval - are some better digging up as plants and others propagating? I don't have a greenhouse.

Sorry for all the questions, having done so much here I really don't want to leave these plants behind. At the moment there's nothing at the new house, just rubble, but hopefully dug and topsoiled by the time I get there. Orientation and position similar to this (windy place up on a hill)

What would you do.

DS

taj

Im going to do this too when I move house, as iv spent so much money creating this garden. Unfortunatly i can help you with advise though, i just thought id put the dug up plants into boxes with plenty of soil around them, disturbing them as least possible. Good luck to you anyway.

ukbill69

I would dig up all you want and put in pots before you try to sell your house. Its like putting in a brand new bathroom to show new clients and then putting old one back in when its sold.

olly300

downshifter wrote: »

I would like to take as much as I can from here. The house is rented so digging plants up is allowed, unlike houses for sale.All are mine, none belong to my landlord.

Digging up plants is allowed whether the house is for sale or for rent, as long as the plants are the landlords.

However with some plants you are probably better of taking loads of cuttings from late August through to mid/end September as well in case:
1. You can't dig up the plant due to it's long roots i.e. some herbs and the fact you have clay soil
2. The plant doesn't survive it's move.

Most plants will be dormant in November so you shouldn't have problem digging up shrubs and bushes.

One of my neighbours was telling me that the people before me dug up loads of plants. However as I then dug up some of their other plants they left it's not a problem.

If I ever move the person after me is going to have a hell of a time removing the plants I've put in the ground as the majority of them are drought tolerant ones with very long roots and the soil is clay further down.

Kay_Peel

The shrubs will be tricky - only because November is not the best time to transplant them into your new garden and they won't be happy in a pot over winter. Once a shrub has been in the ground for 5 years or more it's quite difficult to move it successfully.

You have two options:

1. Dig them up with a massive root-ball 3-4 days before you move. Pack them with moist compost, newspapers, straw and wrap the rootball in a sack - try to avoid plastic unless it's got plenty of ventilation holes. Keep them in a shed or garage.

2. Dig them up at the end of September and put them in a container.

As soon as you move in to your new home, dig a trench in a sheltered spot and 'heel in' the shrubs to their temporary home. Here's a You tube video of heeled in trees and shrubs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFMkw66SMmU

You lay the shrubs on their side and cover the root ball with the soil that you've taken out of the trench. Firm the rootball gently and keep it watered. The aim is to keep the roots frost free and moist as well as getting them used to the new soil.

Come the Spring, you'll be able to lift them from the trench and plant them in their proper place.

Perennials are easy! Just divide them in early September by digging them up and breaking them up into smaller pieces. Pot them up and away you go.

Annuals will die anyway, but you can collect the seed pods, dry them and then store them to sow in early Spring.

Bulbs are easy too. I find that bulbs are feisty and it doesn't matter if you store them in soil or dry them off - they'll still come through. I dig up a lot of bulbs by mistake at all times of year and transplant them to other spots or put them in containers until I can deal with them.

Good luck with the move!:beer:

Primrose

I'd wait until end September/October to dig up your fruit bushes (presume they're blackcurrants, redcurrants etc?) when the leaves are starting to fall off. Prune them back a little first and get a good supply of those green potato growing container sacks which have handles on them which will make them light and easy to move. Replant them in there with plenty of compost around a good root ball, keep moist and they should transplant OK. You should try and get them replanted in their new location as soon as possible because these lightweight containers won't improve them if they're exposed to frosty conditions which can start happening around November.

Strawberry plants deteriorate after 3 or 4 years so they may not be worth digging up and potting on, but you can certain pot on the runners.

Bulbs can be dug up now (if you can remember where they are). Store them