Garden Q&A: My camellia has grown too large. How should I move it to another spot?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

QUESTION

I want to move a camellia from one part of the garden to a different area as it has grown too large for where it is. 

Can it be moved and when do I do it?

ANSWER

Moving any established shrub comes with a risk of losing it during the move. 

If the camellia has been in the ground for five years or less, then the risk is not huge but that risk increase with the age of the plant — and I am guessing that it is probably there for quite a few years if it has got too big for its allotted space. 

The best time to do any moving of established shrubs is in the depths of mid-winter when temperatures are at their lowest. 

This is when the plant is dormant and the root system will have a chance to repair any root damage before the temperatures increase again in the spring the plant needs every bit of its root system to absorb water from the soil.

Get as big a rootball as possible when lifting the plant and have its new home ready and waiting so that it spends no length of time out of the soil. 

Pay close attention to watering next spring and summer. 

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