Removing bushes from front of house
Asked on Jul 24, 2023
How can I remove bushes from the front of my house?
by
Zach Waxer
+15
I have a front yard landscaping project in mind and could use your expertise. I'm planning to remove the bushes from the front of my house and replace them with beautiful ornamental trees. Additionally, I want to relocate the bushes to my garden.
Could you please provide advice on how to successfully remove the bushes while ensuring their survival for transplantation? I would greatly appreciate any detailed instructions and tips to make this front yard transformation a success!
Transplanting mature bushes can be risky, but it can be done. Be sure they are well watered first. You will need to dig a trench and some of the roots will be cut.
These should help
https://www.groundsguys.com/blog/2019/october/how-to-transplant-shrubs/
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-transplant-trees-and-shrubs-2131175
a rope or chain tied to a truck bumper will get them out
You can dig out the existing bushes and insuring their survival by keeping a good amount of the soil they are currently planted in intact. Dig the area where you will be transplanting them to so they are not out of the ground any longer than necessary. All of this should be about twice larger than you think! You don't want to pull them out....that's sure to kill them.
When it is WET, dig out past the ball of the plant. For the best estimate, look up your plant and check planting advice. That should tell you how large a mature plant will get.
Hello Zach: The best tool for digging out plants is a garden fork. It looks like a pitch fork only the tines are shorter and thicker. This cuts down the trauma to the roots by loosening them from the soil instead of cutting them off. Also, if you can get a product called Root Tone to put on the roots before transplanting them, that will help with the transfer. As for the trees, before putting them in, I'd find out about the roots. The roots may, if the trees are planted too close to the house, find a crack the foundation and get into those cracks and ruin your foundation. I'd ask a tree expert about this. If you are going to mulch, keep the mulch about 3 inches from the base of the tree/bush, and about 2 inches deep, so that water can get to them. Also, I water the soil quite well before putting down mulch, as the mulch will suck up the water before it gets to the plant and you need about 3 times as much water :(
Happy gardening :)
You may want to re-think trees. If they are too close to the house the roots can ruin your foundation. I planted some trees on the easement near my house and the roots went right to my water pipes and I had to replace them.
Hopefully this video can help! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKFlMTPQhQY
Call in the professionals if you have never moved mature plants before as they will do a better and quicker job for you, especially if you want to keep the plants. They should also give useful information as to what todo to keep them well after transplant!
If you want to save them, I you have to remove them carefully, by hand, and protect the root balls. Then keep them wet in a bucket until you move them and water them like crazy once they're in the new spot in the garden. We've done it a lot with great success...but it's really all about the watering.
Appreciate the information everyone
How to Transplant Mature Trees and Shrubs
https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/transplant-mature-trees-and-shrubs
Have the area ready for them to be moved to, then it is a simple matter of excavating them and replanting. A professional can make this job much easier for you and spare you the labor of this task. They have the skill and the equipment.
You’ll need to first determine what kind of bushes they are as some are only ok to move at certain times of year. You might consult with a local garden center about specifics and what the bushes might need to succeed.
Hi Zach, hope this step by step helps you
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-transplant-trees-and-shrubs-2131175
Well you can use a cutter.
To remove shrubs, some landscapers and homeowners employ trucks. After fastening a recovery strap to their automobile and encircling the shrub, they gradually back away. To make the shrub looser and simpler to remove, it is beneficial to excavate the area surrounding it and cut out some of the roots.