Hi Peggy, I do not live in Texas but have had the best success planting or moving plants of all types, including trees, in the fall. There is usually a steadier supply of rain and the trees do not go through as many periods of extreme temperatures. Kim

Peggy: This is the best time of the yr to move things, by far. If they don't make it moving them now, waiting won't help. Move as much root and soil as possible. Trimming the top back some might help. Keep them regularly watered the first yr. Most things I've moved have worked great.

The Fruitnut

I would say fall is better since the trees have all dormant season to adapt. But, it is not a huge difference and its not worth waiting for the next fall. I have moved trees about every month of the year; the only time you must avoid is when they are leafed out, that kills them a good chunk of the time. I don't think I ever killed a tree I moved in the dormant season.

Depending on how successful the movement was, the tree may act like nothing happened or it may have a sluggish year after being moved. I move 10-20 trees every dormant season, there is always some change I need to make. I had some peaches/plums too crammed so I moved 15 trees into a new area a few months ago. After three or so years old it starts getting really hard to move them due to the root size, so take advantage when they are young trees to get it right.

Scott

Hey Kim!

I should have moved them this past fall but the Pomegranate had leaves for ages after we had a frost. I goofed when I planted it...the apricot trees have grown and now shade it.

We do not get Rain...what is that...I forget! If my plants get moisture, it comes out of the end of a hose.

Can't wait until this coming Fall to move the plum. I finally have my husband warmed up to the idea of a greenhouse!!! He is going to talk to one of my friend's who has old windows for sale (hopefully cheap!!). I suggested a different location this morning and he thought it was an excellent idea...that doesn't happen often so I gotta strike while the iron is hot. I have two 1550 gallon tanks ready for a rain catchment system to put on a greenhouse (they would not fit where we intended to put them last year).

I have baby plants coming out my ears...the enclosed porch is filled...must get hubby to build more shelving next time he is off. The darn cats love to turn over my pots and play in them...one cat in particular...YoYo lives to catch me out of the room and goes at it!

Fruitnut,
You must be in the Davis Mountains. Thanks for the advise. My neighbor did not do his leaves last Fall and asked me this weekend if I wanted them...told him SURE!! I have horse manure/hay mix to add to them...can amend the soil around both trees when I get them moved.

The Santa Rosa Plum was doomed from the day my husband brought it home from one of his trips to Wal-Mart and set it on the front steps until he could plant it the next day...next morning we woke to find an unexpected frost had fallen on 1/2 of the tree that was not under the overhang. Then year before last my husband was spraying with Roundup and got some on that tree; it died back but sprouted from the base right away. This Spring I trimmed all but the best sprout off and it's made a nice looking tree. I'm hoping it did not sprout from root stock that will not produce a good plum!

scottfsmith
Thanks for the reply.

There is no way I can move any plants much later in the year. We get hot early and have very little or NO rain most of the time. 2007 we had more rain in a couple of months than we normally have in a year, was very wet that Spring.

Peggy

Hi again Peggy! I save a great tip on another post that I though might help you out. I know you get very little water but didn't realize just how little you got. Anyway, the tip is to take a 5 gallon bucket and drill a 1/16" hole near the bottom and place next to your fruit tree. The water will trickle out slowly and help keep the tree watered. Mark states he only has to fill the bucket 2-3 times a week and his fruit trees do not suffer this way.

HTH, Kim

Kym,

That gives me an idea! I began last year growing a lot of veggies in containers. I have 9 varieties of eggplants and 40+ varieties of peppers that I could place around the tree so that each time I water the veggies the tree will receive the runoff. I'm thinking I will use my 6' chain link behind where the tree will go to put some of my tomatoes.

My plant order arrived this week...have 100 strawberries, 50 asparagus crowns and 4 blueberry bushes to put out tomorrow plus a lot of kohlrabi and two varieties of Swiss Chard and YaYa carrots (one of our cats is named YaYa!).

Thanks so much for the suggestion!

Peggy

Peggy that is great. I hope the berries and asparagus do really well for you. I hope to pick up a few strawberries soon. How did the raspberries do? I hope they take off for you this year. Did you have any luck with the melons also? I like the idea of placing the veggies around the tree. I know it gets really hot where you are and I bet the little shade they get will be appreciated in the very hot days to come. Kim

Update on how the pomegranate and plum are doing.

We moved them both to new locations which they both appear to like much better...they look great!

The pomegranate is covered in blooms...more blooms than it has ever had before and it has grown...would say it is now well over 6'. I trimmed it last year to become a tree instead of a shrub and it is now so pretty with graceful limbs covered with red blooms and buds. I took cutting this past Winter and have several small rooted cuttings plus lots of seedlings from trades and store pomegranate and from our pomegranate. Not sure what I will do with all of them.

The plum is growing and looks very healthy...hope to one day learn if it is still a plum or a peach as Fruitnut and my neighbor believe.

Thanks for the advise!
Peggy