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melissapeterman

Moving a Giant Turk's Cap

rumbum
16 years ago

I need to transplant my Giant Turk's Cap. It is still small, only 3 or 4 feet tall. Should I move it now while it is dormant or wait until spring?

Thanks,

Melissa

Comments (6)

  • stitches216
    16 years ago

    Melissa, I have the same question since we need to do the same thing (move TCs). Ours are smaller and probably younger than yours, only about 2 feet (pruned back).

    I don't know with certainty, but instinct (isn't always right) is telling me that transplanting now, during dormancy, would be a better time than spring. I suspect that moving the plant once its juices start to flow again would be lots more stressful and threatening to the health of the plant than moving it while dormant.

    If we get ours moved soon and have any luck with them in their new locations, I'll try to remember to post again with results.

  • centraltexan
    16 years ago

    Get them moved, now is as good a time as any. They will have a couple of months to get their root system re-established before spring starts. A lot of our native or adapted plants never really go into dormancy, we just don't get cold enough. But they do slow down on growth in the fall and winter, so that is when I try and move my plants.

  • denisew
    16 years ago

    I have moved a couple Turk's cap plants, but when they were young. Try to get as much of the root as possible. They have that tap root that can get long. Right now is a great time to move them.

  • drewsmaga
    16 years ago

    It's always best to move trees/shrubs when they're "dormant" (Nov.- Feb.)

    My experience with "moving" a 3-4 ft./diameter TC when we lived in NE FL (border of 8b/9a.)

    It had to go -- GO, not be transplanted. It was HUGE! I cut it down to stumps & we dug it out best we could. To get it out of the ground, we had to use the pick-up. It was too big to drag to the front yard for recycling pick-up, so I told DH to just drag it to the back of our property, the "Florida Jungle" which hadn't been tamed. I figured it would eventually rot into compost.

    Turk's Cap are HARDY! This one, plopped on top of weeds & never watered TOOK ROOT!

    Moral of my story -- transplant away. Turk's Caps are TOUGH! (Yeah, I'd grown my 1st one from a cutting. When that one got too big, I divided it. And divided those. Etc. I was getting overrun with TC's. :-) Pat

    Here is a link that might be useful: Turk's Cap

  • rumbum
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    It shall be moved in the very near future. Thanks for your advice!

  • mikeandbarb
    16 years ago

    I have moved baby Turks cap's before and was very surprised at the long root tap they have even when their only a few months old. Expect to dig very deep to get the tap root. Something that helps to soften the soil is Ivory dish soap just get a bucket and squirt ivory dish soap and pour around the plant. That is if you have hard clay soil, or you can set a hose around the plant and leave it dripping to soften the soil.