THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF PLANTING AND 
TRANSPLANTING 
A. D. TAYLOR* 
Landscape Architect 
Soil Preparation; Spading and Depth for Individual Plants, and Handling of Stock on Receipt 
IRANSPLANT1NG, in its general definition, is the 
operation of taking a plant up from the soil and planting 
it again in a new location, where it is expected to 
continue normal growth. Correct transplanting im- 
plies that a plant in its new position should be left in proper 
posture, and firmly embed- 
ded in good soil. In ad- 
dition to placing plants in 
new and permanent loca- 
tions to have them effective, 
or where they may develop 
to better advantage, it is 
often necessary to move 
plants from masses in order 
to prevent crowding and to 
provide more space for the 
remaining plants. This is 
true especially with nursery 
grown stock, and also in 
plantations which are made 
dense at the outset in order 
to produce an immediate 
effect. 
The result of close planting 
iseventually an overcrowded 
condition and a lack of 
healthy, well-developed fob- « 
age, flowers, and fruit. The D » • 1 * 
more vigorous specimens ^ 
crowd out the weaker ones 
and unless a “ thinning out ” 
process is adopted, the mass ■ 
effect becomes quite uneven "y 
and ragged. 
The reason for most over- '3 1 
crowded plantings is the aa l ~~ 
desire on the part of the de- 
signer to gain quick results. 
Too often our impatience 
and unwillingness to wait C: ,\- 
until plants mature and 
“fill out’’ develop many 
errors. Three years after 
transplanting is the normal 
period required for shrubs, 
two years for perennials, 
and eight to ten years for 
average nursery grown trees 
to make the necessary growth to overcome the bare effect of 
the border or row of trees, when planted in small sizes. 
The question often arises as to whether or not it is better to 
use average sized nursery stock (three to four year old stock) 
or to use large, overgrown shrubs. Many people feel that an 
immediate effect is desirable and that the larger the shrubs 
used the more quickly is their object achieved. The nursery 
shrub will require anywhere from two to four years, under 
normal spacing, before it will develop sufficiently to produce 
fully effective mass planting. On the other hand, the large, 
overgrown shrub which occupies the requisite space at once 
A Plants temporarily “heeled-in” for early planting 
B Small nursery tree as received and as pruned for planting 
C Transplanting large trees. A trench is dug cutting the roots in the year previ- 
ous, not later than July. The compact ball of new roots (right) is easily moved 
D Roses, own-root D i ; Budded D 4. Set D 1 a little deeper (D 2.) Budded Roses 
(D 4) are planted with bud well down. Winter protection by hilling D 3. 
E Depth in transplanting. Normal growth at E 1, As transplanted, with soil 
basin for water E, 2. The Hilling at E 3 is bad in every way. 
generally requires severe pruning and cutting back in order to 
produce any growth which will fill out the plant at the bottom 
and the top. This renovating process requires from two 
to three years. Therefore at the end of this period the general 
effect of the plantation is about the same whether large, over- 
grown shrubs or smallernur- 
sery specimens are used. 
The correct method to 
adopt in general work is to 
allow sufficient space be- 
tween plants for the normal 
development of each. Plant- 
ing too close, although 
providing a more finished 
appearance during the first 
one or two seasons, is far 
less desirable than liberal 
spacing. It is not practi- 
cable to lay down a well- 
defined rule for spacing 
plants. 
Conditions for Trans- 
planting 
It is better to transplant 
stock on a dull, moist day 
\ Jv Jk than on a bright sunny one, 
because the planter needs to 
give less attention to the 
A - drying out and consequent 
-■ injury to fibrous rootgrowth. 
"M If transplanting is done on 
dry, sunny days plenty of 
water must be used, or the 
plants must be thoroughly 
dormant. Dry winds are as 
injurious as hot sun. The 
safest rule to follow is that 
no plant should be moved 
except with extreme care, 
and then only when entirely 
dormant. Plants are gen- 
erally considered dormant 
when the flow of sap has 
ceased in the top, at which 
time the season’s growth is 
completed, and the wood 
has had ample opportunity to ripen and harden. Deciduous 
plants are dormant when the leaves have fallen or turned brown. 
Transplanting before the wood is thoroughly ripened is one of 
the sources of winter-killing. It is practicable to transplant 
perennials, small trees, many evergreens and many shrubs 
before they have finished their growing season, or after growth 
in the spring has well begun; but this should rarely, if ever, 
be attempted with large trees. 
The purchaser of nursery stock should request that such 
material be lifted and packed properly. In general nursery 
stock must be dug carefully, and the roots very cleanly cut to 
* From advance proofs of “The Complete Garden”, a manual of practical gardening, by A. D. Taylor, F.A.S.L.A. (Doubleday, Page & Co.) 
21 
