Digging up Trachycarpus.

[karl66]

A question i'd like answered from members who have actually done this. I have another property which i have tenants in at the moment & for various reasons cant start planting in the garden. I realise butia's, jubeas, brahea's etc are very root sensitive, but if i wanted to move say 2/3 big fortunei or waggys, how much of the rootball would i have take with me for it to survive & whats the success rate?. karl.

[Las Palmas Norte]

There's plenty of info and videos on YouTube if you search "Palm tree transplant". A buddy of mine on Salt Spring Island had moved many palms and some of his videos are featured there too.

Cheers, Barrie.

[Nigel Fear]

Trachycarpus has to be one of the most forgiving plants to transplant, so long as you keep it well watered afterwards, with as much rootball as you can, allowing for the weight of course.

Best leave until after winter though.

[Jon Boy]

Karl,

First of all, although I'd agree with the Brahea, I disagree with your view of Jubaea and Butia, these two will transplant as easily as Trachycarpus.

With all transplants, the bigger rootball you can take the better it is for the palms long term survival. The limiting factor will of course be your ability to lift it.

Nigel is right, make sure it's well watered after the transplant, by reducing the root system by as much as 50% or more you've reduced it's ability to take up water by itself, so you have to help it out.

Again, as Nigel said wait till it's back in active growth in late spring.

Jon

[Darlo Mark]

I'm not sure about Jubea but I've heard Butia are notorious sulkers after having root disturbance.

[karl66]

Can a Trachycarpus be planted deeper down the trunk, as you can with a tree fern?. I have 1 particular fortunei that has a strange thin taper on the first 8 inches & was wondering whether to lift it again next spring and replant it deeper. karl.

[Nigel Fear]

No, that would cause rot to set in.

[Nigel]

Success or failure depends on size of rootball. If the rootball is cut too small the plant will enter into shock.
trachys, Butias and Jubaeas do not need particularly big rootballs , as long as 9 or 10 inches of root remains intact within the rootball they generally grow back quickly.

[karl66]

Hopefully i wont need to worry for a few years!. In my opinion any Trachycarpus planted out just has such a vibrant lush look to it compared to potted ones. What upsets me is when you see trachys with 10/15ft trunks in massive pots but the crowns are raggy looking & dont look right.Nigel, if i do need to move a couple in a few years , if i dig enough rootball out to fill a 60 litre pot as an example is that enough to get it started again. karl.

[Kristen]

If you know you are going to move it in, say, a year's time then would it pay to root prune it? Stick a spade in where you want to create the rootball and make a vertical cut; the severed roots will start regenerating, but it will still have the rest of the roots to fall back on, then when you come to lift it it will be able to rely on the narrower root system you have encouraged.

[karl66]

If you know you are going to move it in, say, a year's time then would it pay to root prune it? Stick a spade in where you want to create the rootball and make a vertical cut; the severed roots will start regenerating, but it will still have the rest of the roots to fall back on, then when you come to lift it it will be able to rely on the narrower root system you have encouraged.

Kristen, thanks for your advice. I may try this on a couple of them, the likelyhood of them moving before approx 5 years is is very low. karl.

[Nigel]

Thats very good advice, if you cut vertically to a spade depth around the palm around 6 inches from the trunk approx 3 months before digging in springtime or summer it will transplant much quicker, and with some palmbooster to zap all those new little roots into action it would hardly miss a beat.

[karl66]

Thats very good advice, if you cut vertically to a spade depth around the palm around 6 inches from the trunk approx 3 months before digging in springtime or summer it will transplant much quicker, and with some palmbooster to zap all those new little roots into action it would hardly miss a beat.

Nige, i will bear all this info in mind. Been taking up some conifer roots today, right next to some trachys. The network of roots on them is unreal & its a wonder anything else grows, the roots were also getting far to close to the erispathia. karl.