Trachycarpus F. advice on digging up

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benbaron

Trachycarpus F. advice on digging up

Post by benbaron »

Hi all,

as mentioned in my hello all message, I have 3 large (8/9' trunks + 5' leaves) trachys - Im looking at moving house soon and dont want to leave them behind - does anybody have any tips on digging them up and potting temporarily or digging up in general?
They are beasts and am quite daunted at the prospect of removing these things! (which is why Im offering somebody the job for an exchange of a tree ;)
fern Rob

Re: Trachycarpus F. advice on digging up

Post by fern Rob »

I think the sulk first then eventually pick up.
Plenty of people have moved them, and they have been fine.
brendan

Re: Trachycarpus F. advice on digging up

Post by brendan »

I have transplanted a few of these now and the bigger the rootball the less they are likely to sulk. Depending where abouts in your garden they are located you should be able to dig them out with just a spade and a long bar or timber to lever them out of the ground. I dig a large trench around them and then cut with the spade underneath then lean the palm over a bit and cut a bit more until you can tip them over.
They are going to be heavy so get some manpower to help you move them. If they are going in pots till you move you will need some big pots to keep them in and bring close to the house for extra protection from the cold winds. If in the pots through winter you may have to wrap the pots in fleece or something to stop the roots freezing.
If you were closer I would be up for the challenge of helping you but you are to far away for me to travel.
jungle jas

Re: Trachycarpus F. advice on digging up

Post by jungle jas »

Ben, you dont say what type of soil you have in your garden? This can make a big difference in the time and ease of transplanting. It normally takes at least 2 hours to dig out a large palm. You may consider putting them into a one ton builders bag rather than a pot as they are much easier to move due to the handles round the top of the bag. icon_thumright
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