You could do it now, but I would prefer to wait until it is fully dormant......mid/late November.

Interesting! Here I thought I had waited too long. Maybe I will dig the hole now and move it in November.

Does "fully dormant" mean when the leaves have fallen off?

Not exactly, although it is a good sign that full dormancy is approaching. Day length and temperatures will influence full dormancy by generating such biological responses as the concentration of sugars, bud formation and the cessation of root elongation and that doesn't happen until soils decline to temps around 40F or lower. In most parts of the country, that doesn't happen until mid to late November at the earliest.

I would have to disagree with Gardengal. I would transplant the tree immediately to allow for as much root growth to occur this season as possible. Also, being in PA you run the risk that the ground will get frozen before you transplant. I transplant my JMs at all times of the year with great success.

Regards,

K4

It is always most desirable to transplant (that is, relocate - NOT plant from a container or B&B) any deciduous tree or shrub when it is dormant. Of course you can do it at others times (and I said as much) but it still would be preferrable to wait. And FWIW, in zone 7, the ground doesn't freeze or no more than an inch or two and it won't happen at all until late winter, generally January or February.

Well, the deed is done. I went to the Wayside Gardens site to see what they have to say, since that is where I got it. Here's what they say:

"If after a year or two your Japanese Maple does not seem to be ideally situated in your garden, don't be afraid to dig up it up and move it. Location is one of the most important factors in growing this tree successfully, so a bit of trial-and-error may be in order. The best time to move the tree is in late summer or early fall, at least a month before the ground freezes. Your Japanese Maple will be very forgiving -- but cut a very wide and deep hole around it and leave as much soil clinging to its roots as you can when you dig it up!"

I decided to go ahead also because the time I will have for the garden is very limited now. It's already pitch dark when I get home from work, so I only have weekends. Weekends are very, very busy and if it rains, I will be out of luck. Most of my yard time is spent dealing with leaves and cleanup -- or as I call it, ungardening.

I had a hard time getting the soil to move along with the roots. It mostly fell off. Still the roots themselves came out in one clump so I got all of it into the new hole. The only sad thing was that I managed to break off three limb tips. I wish I could root them like some plants.

So time will tell whether I made a mistake. It does look awfully cute in it's new home.

I doubt you made much of mistake. Although Wayside Gardens would not be the first choice I'd go to with regards to JM's or their care. Probably wouldn't even be on my list, to tell the truth :-) Regardless, just keep the tree sufficiently hydrated until the fall/winter rains arrive and you should be OK.

btw, as I stated previously, in zone 7, your soil does NOT freeze to any significant extent :-) And it certainly is unlikely to do so at all this early in the season - it requires prolonged spells of below freezing weather (like in the 20's and teens) to freeze soil to any significant depth.

Thanks for the encouragement, g-gal. The soil here is sodden from so much rain. We've had an unusual amount of rain with more expected this coming weekend.

You are correct that the ground here doesn;t freeze until late Dec or early Jan. That's when temps at night get quite low. Although it doesn't freeze down very far, you would need a jackhammer to get through those top inches! Not to mention that it is bitterly cold with the damp air we have and biting winds.

Brr, don't make me think about it! It's a gorgeous fall day today.

Brief update. After one of the snowiest winters on record, my brave little JM Shaina is sprouting new buds and adjusting well to its new home. A few branches snapped off over the winter, but so far, so good. Yay.

Should be fine just mulch and water frequently during warm/hot stretches.