Digging out a big dracaena

21 years ago

Have any of you ever transplanted a huge dracaena? The one we're currently working on is over 5 metres tall and is multi-stemmed. It's in very rocky ground edged with concrete, so it's quite a challenge. I know branches take really easily just by sticking them in the ground (I've done that enough times) but I was wondering how successful transplanting a tree-sized one will be.Do we need to keep a good rootball? Also, any ideas on how to get the thing out and moved next door? We have moved a big date palm before by using a ride-on mower to drag it up out of it's hole and up the hill onto a trailer (that was a day to remember!) but with that the soil was without rocks, though it too was surrounded by concrete (why do we do this???). This tree's rootball is similar in size but it's on rock, and, of course, access is difficult. We have used bars and maddocks to try to get under it but it's going to take forever. And, guess what? Now it's pouring with rain here. Maybe it will just float out! :)

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Comments (9)

alisonoz_gw
21 years ago
Goodness, it sounds a big job. No I haven't moved anything so substantial or rather I have planted out, large potted stuff but not the reverse.
I googled up this article that explained a similar operation on a dracaena (it continues on to page 2 - click at the bottom) for the next page.But their description sounds like you need a crane and half the staff from a botanical gardens.
Given the nature of the plant and the possible leaf-loss through relocation (and its winter) and you may damage branches anyway, I would probably whimp out personally and just take a ton of branch cuttings to re-strike. But good luck and someone else may have some experienced tips for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: dracaena moving story
Doona
Original Author
21 years ago
Wow, that was a job-and-a-half. Thank you for that article. No, ours isn't that big.
By the way, we did it! It was a big job but not as big as we'd begun to expect. In fact at one point my husband and I thought it wouldn't be possible and were considering either dividing the three trunks to make it lighter, or cutting the branches off just above where it branched out and planting the stump and striking the cuttings, but neither of us wanted to do that; we wanted the whole thing in one piece. Digging it out wasn't as hard as we first thought (especially for me, as the men did it all!). A big help was when my husband cut the roots that were against the concrete . It just gently tipped over then. After getting it to ground level by tilting it to one side, filling the other with dirt, tipping it back onto that dirt and filling the other side and so forth effectively raising the soil level, my brother-in-law came up with the idea of leaning it on its side and jacking the base up so that the trailer could be pushed beneath it. That worked. The thing weighed a ton! We had to use a winch and a 4WD (which we couldn't get very close because of where the tree was) to pull it onto the trailer properly. Then it got towed to our place next door. Next problem: getting it off the trailer and into the hole the right way. Now I had to put a bit of muscle in as two of the men had deserted the job. Of course the dracaena was facing the wrong way in the trailer so as we got it off the trailer (winch again) we also had to roll it, which wasn't easy at all, but this time it did what it was supposed to do.
I can't believe it all worked out. Anyone else (namely my father-in-law who wanted to get the chainsaw out at the start) would have given up when it became apparent that it might be too heavy to lift. Not my husband (or his brother)though. I have learnt never to doubt anything he wants to do.
Tonight, just after we finished planting the tree, it became very windy. So far so good though: no movement at all at the base. We have one support cable and strap attached from it to another tree. That's all.
I'll let you know in a few months how it's going.
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User
21 years ago
Well done!!! Just goes too show what sheer guts and determination can do (and a few men). Lol.
Cheers,
Dee.
alisonoz_gw
21 years ago
And I think a nice spa-bath soak for those aching muscles!
Doona
Original Author
21 years ago
I wish!
Actually we had to go to my Mum's for dinner so at least I didn't have to cook.
This is the fourth major transplanting we've done. We moved two 3m date palms previously (as I mentioned already) and a cotton palm. I asked my husband if he thinks this is the last one we'll ever do and he said he'll fertilise the crap out of everything to make sure we don't have room to put anything else. I reckon we'll squeeze something in if it's free. Or we'll take something we don't really like out to make room! We can't help ourselves.
Donna
User
21 years ago
Now where have I heard that before, sounds just like me and my other half.
So Looking forward to hearing how it went later on. And good on you all...MM
Doona
Original Author
20 years ago
Okay, it's been three months since we transplanted the dracaena and I am happy to say it looks as though it will live. There was a lot of leaf-loss but that has stopped now and the remaining leaves are showing no signs of stress. We have certainly copped a lot of wind too, to test it's ability to stay upright.
Now I will be looking closely for new growth. Fingers crossed!
Donna.
bazil99
20 years ago
Hi, you say the plant is big, has it flowered yet?
Doona
Original Author
20 years ago
No it hasn't flowered. I didn't know they were supposed to. I have a "Song of India" variety of dracaena which has flowered, but thats the only kind I have ever seen with any. I'll try to remember to take a photo of the new dracaena and post it in the gallery so you can all see it.