Expert: C.L. Fornari - 8/7/2009

Question
Re: your answer to a question posted 5/26/2007...
I just read your post as I too am from NH - a little further north than Salem and I too would like to move a fairly mature quince to a better location (more sun).  My question is... is each "stem" a separate potential shrub or do they grow in clusters (multi-stemmed)?  how much of the root base must I move with me? and how much bigger should the new hole be?
Thank you for your response


Answer
Teresa,
Quince is one of my favorite shrubs - bone hardy, and such color in the spring!  Quince is what we call a "suckering shrub" - it spreads by sending up shoots, commonly called "suckers", from the base of the plant.  So I suppose that you could call each stem a separate shrub, but if you separated all of these you are more likely to lose them. If I were you, I'd try and dig and move as much of this plant as possible - several of the stems and as much of a root ball as you can dig. The more roots you have the more of the shrub will survive the move - less roots mean more die-back up top.  I'd dig the hole as deep as the root ball you're moving but twice as wide. So if the root ball is two and a half feet wide, I'd dig a hole five feet wide. Why? Because in doing so you loosen the dirt and this loose dirt is easier for the roots to grow into. The faster the plant grows a new root system, the faster it produces new growth and flowers up above.  

If you're moving this plant soon, be sure to water it twice a week - DEEPLY - through August and one a week through September and into October. Letting the hose trickle on the area is better than hand-watering, in general, because most people get bored long before the plant gets a good, deep soaking.

Don't fertilize until next spring, and use an organic fertilizer at that time.

I hope this helps,
C.L.
www.wholelifegardening.com