question about moving a Viridis Japanese Maple cross country...

15 years ago

Hello,

I am currently in upstate NY (Rochester) but am moving back to California. I have a decent size Viridis Japanese Maple in a large container and was wondering if anyone has any advice/opinion about taking it with me. I'll be moving to Redlands, CA (zone 8-10A) and was really hoping to take it with me. Will a Jap maple do well in that climate> I have friends who have them in LA and south OC and they have done fine.

Also, the moving company will be transporting it during July...I'm assuming 5 days to go cross country in a moving truck. Assuming I bring it with me, will it be able to endure that haul cross country? Any help/opinions would be great! Thanks in advance.

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Comments (3)

kaitain4
15 years ago
Wow! That sounds like a rough trip, and a very HOT time of the year to move it. Any chance of sending it out early (like now!)?

If it were me, and depending on the size, I would put the whole thing in a huge insulated box and overnight it to its new home. Take most of the soil off the roots and put that moisture-retentive gel on them and seal the root ball tightly in plastic. Wrap the branches carefully in foam and tape down - just enough to keep them from flopping about. Then suspend the tree well in the center of the box and fill with "peanuts". I would use DHL or someone who is an expert at shipping larger sizes and things that need special handling.

Then, when it got to CA, I would repot it the minute it arrived and water the stink out of it for the rest of the summer!

I know how you feel about your tree. Its become part of the family! I would take mine too, although I would have to dig it up out of the garden. In fact, if I ever do have to move (and I hope not), I'm afraid I would have to hire some commercial nursery people to dig up all my Japanese Maples so I could take them with me. How could I leave them behind, at the risk that the new owner would not take care of them!? It would be like leaving your dog behind!

Good luck, and let us know how you do it! :-)

K4
dawgie
15 years ago
You might end up spending more to pack and ship it properly than it would cost to buy another tree in California. Also, do you have a good location for the Viridis at your new home? My Viridis couldn't handle the original location where I planted it; too much afternoon sun. It has thrived to the shadier spot where I moved it, but it doesn't like hot sun.
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dawgie
15 years ago
BTW, I have a Crimson Queen that I dug up and took with me when I moved 12 years ago. However, I just moved across town. My CQ was in the ground (I had owned it about 5 years at the time), and I transplanted it to a pot several months before we moved. My neighbor kept it in his backyard for me while we were moving, and I later got it back from him and replanted it at my new house. It has thrived in the new location.