October: Root Prune Shrubs to Move in Spring

Fall is the ideal time to move shrubs and trees but if you know you won’t be able to do so this fall, prepare the plant for a spring move by root pruning it. Plunge your spade into the soil  around the base of the plant in a circle as if you were going to dig it up. Root pruning makes it easier to dig up the plant in spring and encourages the plant to generate new roots inside the circle. These roots will give the plant a head start when it’s moved to its new location and help it get established quickly.