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two holly questions

Lalala (zone 6b)

15 years ago

I have two questions relating to holly.

1. We need to move a medium-sized holly (maybe 4' x 4') that's in a bad location. We'd like to do it this weekend before we have some other tree work done. I think it would have been best to do it earlier in the spring, but will it be OK to do it now if we water it well in the new location? Does anyone have tips on transplanting holly? How deep do the roots usually go? Will two people probably be able to move that size shrub by hand? (I don't know what kind of holly it is, but it's the traditional kind with spiky leaves.)

2. For another spot in the garden that gets a few hours of afternoon sun, I'm considering an ilex crenata "steeds." Any advice on that shrub? If it gets 3-4 hours of afternoon sun, is that too little?

Thanks!

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Comment (1)

brandon7 TN_zone7
15 years ago
Here is my rootball size guide. It doesn't take variables like species of tree or shrub, type of soil, or time of year when transplant occurs into consideration. But, it should work fairly well for most cases.

For trunk diameter below 1/2", multiply the diameter by 20 to get approximate rootball diameter.
For trunk diameter between 1/2" and 1", multiply the diameter by 18 to get approximate rootball diameter.
For trunk diameter between 1" and 1-1/2", multiply the diameter by 16 to get approximate rootball diameter.
For trunk diameter between 1-1/2" and 2-1/2", multiply the diameter by 14 to get approximate rootball diameter.
For trunk diameter between 2-1/2" and 4", multiply the diameter by 12 to get approximate rootball diameter.

Here are guidelines for rootball depth:

For a rootball with a diameter of 1', depth should be approximately 8".
For a rootball with a diameter of 2', depth should be approximately 1'.
For a rootball with a diameter of 3', depth should be approximately 15".
For a rootball with a diameter of 4', depth should be approximately 18".

Ilex crenata can do well in partial sun. Three to four hours of sun is probably enough, especially if sun during the rest of the day isn't completely blocked.
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