If they were mine, they would get moved about 3-4 weeks before our first average freeze. 5 years out of 10 the first freeze is Nov. 2.

Spring is actually not my optimal time to move or transplant shrubs and trees. Even though the plant may be dormant over the winter, roots are active in becoming established. The plants will be better established to take off in spring and be nice and healthy before the heat kicks in.

randy

Thanks, Randy. I might indeed put this project off until October... Do you think it would be profoundly unwise to do it in August?

I can't speak for Randy, but I think it would be profoundly unwise to transplant in July OR August anywhere in Oklahoma. During those months, plants are already extremely stressed by the weather and transplanting is a huge stress they don't need.

My favorite time to transplant is October--the worst of the heat is over and the plants have time to settle in and adjust to their location before really cold weather arrives. My second favorite time is February because the worst of the cold has passed (at least it has here in southern OK) and the plants have time to settle in and adjust before the summer heat arrives. Anytime between October and February is probably acceptable, at least with proper attention to mulching and watering. (Wet roots handle freezing weather better than dry roots.)

Good luck,

Dawn

There are other words that come to mind besides profoundly unwise. I'm sure a school teacher like yourself has used them with stubborn students. :-)

randy

You can say that again, Randy! I'll go ahead and wait until Oct, then - fall will be nicer to be outside anyway. Thanks for the good advice. Part of the reason I want to move them is I want to plant other things in that bed as well and the boxwoods are in the way, but it can wait. So then would it be OK to plant some other small trees and shrubs right after I move the boxwoods--early Oct? Stupid question: are nursuries down here open in the fall/winter? Up north they were not - at least not in the dead of winter.

Greenman,

After you remove the boxwoods, you can plant whatever you want there. You might want to add some new organic material like compost and pine bark fines to the soil at that point.

No stupid questions! In southern Oklahoma the nurseries are mostly open year-round except for a couple of very small mom-and-pop operations that are home-based and only open spring though fall. All the major nurseries and big box stores usually have plants up to a point. Down here, they start clearing out the plants at the big box stores in Sept./Oct. to make room for Christmas trees and stuff. I would think it would be about the same all over OK.

The nurseries usually have stock here deep into fall, but often it is older stuff (which can be an advantage) and new plants are not arriving regularly like they do during the main gardening season.

The reason older stuff can be an advantage is that, if they have been held in containers and watered adequately all spring and summer, then they often have better-developed root systems than that on nursery stock fresh from the wholesaler in early spring.

Right now, many nurseries in zone 8 (Dallas-Fort Worth area) south of us are already having clearance sales (some offering up to 70% off) and trying to clear out unsold merchandise. I'll buy plants at this time of year at the sales, hold them in dappled shade, water them as needed (usually daily in July-August) and plant them in October.

Dawn