Moving, and moving a small tree

[Susie]

We are selling our house and moving locally over the course of the next month.  We have a limelight hydrangea tree in a prominent location in our yard that was planted 2 years ago in memory of our first dog.  We asked our agent to communicate to theirs that we were willing to leave it for them, but that it was special to us so if they ever wanted to remove it, please call us and we would to try to transplant it rather than it dying.

All the parties and agents involved in this sale are dog people, to the point that during their inspection last week I got a text from our agent relaying their ask to let our dog out of her crate so they could meet/pet her, lol.  (We said sure.)

Their agent has offered that if we'd like to take the tree with us, she would replace it as a closing gift to her buyers.  I'd like to do it, but I'm worried about finding a specific right spot in our new yard quickly, and it being a little late in the season.  We're zone 5b though, so it's not as late here as it would be in other parts of the country.  I was thinking I could call the local nursery where I bought it, to see about hiring someone to do the transplant.  

We're closing on our new house next week (5/26), and would do it ASAP, assuming we can decide on a spot.  We're going to totally redo the back landscaping though, so ... eesh.  That's hard!

Would you try to do it?  

[Susie]

This was the tree last summer, for rough size of the undertaking.

[laterz]

Looking at it from a purely logistical standpoint - nope. I wouldn't add this to my already long to-do list of moving my family into a new home, and risk that it might not survive.

But I can appreciate that it's meaningful to you and that might influence my decision if I were in your shoes.

[jinkies]

Our seller was initially going to do something similar when we bought our last house. But in the end I think the logistics were too complicated so she left it.

Fwiw, we knew it was special to her so we treated it as special too for as long as we lived there. I have to think that if your buyers are big dog people and know the significance, they will likely do the same.

All that to say, I wouldn't. You can put a new memorial at your new house if you'd like, but I think that plant is big enough that it may not transplant well or easily.

[tacokick]

I would. I don’t think it’s a big deal at all. My mom didn’t when she moved and regretted it a lot.

It is one more thing to worry about but in the long run it is minor. I think you’d be fine to plant it now. It’s not that big, nurseries sell mature trees that size.

[runnergirl]

We did this, so I would for sure. We planted two Italian plum trees when I was pregnant with DD. When we moved locally two years later, I was was very upset about the trees, so DH dug them up and replanted them at the new house. It worked out great and the trees are thriving. I’m so glad we moved them and I would absolutely do it again without question. Our trees were probably similar in size to yours, for reference.

[libbygrl109]

I think at this point in the season, it could be doable, especially if it is on the small side. I would check with the nursery where you got it to get the best advice on how to transfer it.

[penguingrrl]

I would definitely try! I am not someone who has ever managed to keep a plant alive, even outside, so as the buyer if I knew it was special to you I’d be a wreck that I would kill it.

[tacoflavoredkisses]

We are moving 3 rose bushes so yes, totally would do

[treedimensional]

Call an arborist, nurseryman, tree steward, or perhaps a master gardener. I have transplanted countless trees this size. To ME, this is not that big, and it is not that difficult. Now, having said all that, you may find that the cost is prohibitive. I would take great care excavating the root mass and protecting it from desiccation. I would hire laborers to assist me in lifting and loading it, and offloading it in it's new home. That would be expensive and take hours. After all that, it's survival would be entirely up to you. I can tell you from years of experience most people do not irrigate adequately and lose their investment. Then get mad at ME.
A limelight hydrangea is hardly a rare plant. It is commonly available and inexpensive. You could buy many new ones for what I would charge you to do this.
Even though I'd be crushed if someone bought my house and ripped out my beautiful landscape, I probably wouldn't even move my rarest specimens. And that's ME.

[simpsongal]

I'd go for it. If you're too burned out logistically to handle it, just cut it from the list. But it's only been 2 yrs, the root ball is probably not too big. Plan to water a lot through the summer.

[RockNVoll]

I understand the sentimental value, but as others have said I probably wouldn't add it to my long list of logistical details and mental burdens to handle. I'd most likely plant a new one at the new house to represent the same thing. Then you'll have two spots in town to remember your dog by

[rubytue]

So this is an older post, and I see you have closed. Did you move it? How’s it doing?

We are moving in a week, and the amount of things I am moving is ridiculous. I have over 100 things in pots right now, and I’m currently considering moving my serviceberry and lavender. Because I need more things to move 🙄. I have been planning a move since last fall, so have been potting things up for awhile anyway.

[Susie]

rubytue, we did close, but no, we haven't moved the tree. I haven't even planted the rhubarb that's been hanging out in cold storage in a refrigerator since April, or figured out where my tomato seedlings will go, and those are way smaller commitments!

TBH, I'm totally overwhelmed by the backyard. There's an above ground pool that we're taking out, a bunch of arborvitae that we're planning to take out because they are way overgrown, a trio of red maples that I can't envision how they'll look without the arborvitae that they're growing into... and I am just not sure where to put my limelight hydrangea. If I could think of a good spot I might still try to do it, but I just can't envision how the landscaping is going to evolve. I've been too busy with painting and interior stuff to make progress on ideas for outdoors, so I have a feeling that tree is going to be a victim of my indecision, and stay where it is. It's a bummer, but by the time I could do it, it will be getting on toward July, and that's a lousy time to do it for the plant's sake.

[mae141]

Could you take a clipping of it to propagate your own? I did this with my MILs hydrangea. I literally just cut off a branch and stuck it in my yard and it grew. You could keep it in a pot until you decide where to put it.

[Susie]

Jun 18, 2021 15:30:50 GMT -5 mae141 said:

Could you take a clipping of it to propagate your own? I did this with my MILs hydrangea. I literally just cut off a branch and stuck it in my yard and it grew. You could keep it in a pot until you decide where to put it.

That's a really good idea, thanks.  I've done it with my mopheads, I don't know why I didn't think of that.