# Best time to transplant trees



## wizzard

Hello, I have 4, 3 foot tall tulip poplars that i have been nursing in a garden spot for about a year....

I would like to know when i can transplant them this fall. What month. I live in weirton west virginia, near pittsburgh pa...

Also, any pointers will be greatly appreciated

Thanks for your time....


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## kevinj

Hey Wizz,
You say you've been nursing them.
So I expect they've been watered regularly ???
If so, wait until the leaves drop and it begins to go dormant.
It's also a good idea to have no less than 4 weeks of temps.
above 40 degrees F.
I always water thoroughly using liquid seaweed to prevent transplant shock,
just in case.
Mulch well with shredded leaves if you can.
Also wrap the trunk to prevent against any rodent damage. 
That should do it !


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## wizzard

yes i have watered them faithfully and fertilized , they are doing beautifully.....i just dont want to lose them when i transplant them..... i will do as you said. thanx...


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## Elmore

Mid-summer...yes I hear you mocking me but my experience has shown that with small specimens of that species, summer is the most successful. Nursery practice for that species is spring before the buds pop. Somewhere I read that when moving a small Liriodendron tulipifera that summer is best. I have tried it when dormant and they failed but I have moved them in summer and they do well. You have to put the water to them though.
Here is one in my yard. I moved it in mid-summer several years back. It was about 2'-3' tall when I moved it.


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## jrparbor04

i say in the fall,,,i understand the tulip tree does well in mid summer,,,better with cooler temps and more rainfall


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## Elmore

jrparbor04 said:


> i say in the fall,,,i understand the tulip tree does well in mid summer,,,better with cooler temps and more rainfall




Dang...jrparbor04. Your suggestion goes against all the documented information on transplanting Liriodendron tulipifera that I have read. All that I've looked at recently says "spring". My experience says don't guess at it. Research it! 
I have researched it and I have practiced it. The large tree pictured was about 2' tall, in full leaf, dug out of the woods and transplanted in mid-summer. It didn't skip a beat. Once again, you must put the water to it until reestablished. An adequate mulching is also required.

"Tuliptree is extremely sensitive to being transplanted in the Autumn (a general characteristic of fleshy-rooted and coarsely-rooted woody plants), and extra care should be taken to amend the soil, fertilize, water thoroughly, mulch adequately, and avoid Winter salt spray, to enhance survival chances during the first Winter, if transplanting cannot be delayed until Spring"
http://hcs.osu.edu/pocketgardener/source/description/li_ifera.html

"Trees can be planted from containers at any time in the south but transplanting from a field nursery should be done in spring, followed by faithful watering."
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ST363

"Planting Notes:
Difficult to transplant. Once established, it is a fast growing tree. Move young plants with balled and burlapped roots in the spring. Plant in a location where it will have plenty of room to develop. Select a site with fertile, deep, moist soil."
http://www.treehelp.com/trees/tuliptree/index.asp

"Any transplanting is best done in May[11]."
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Liriodendron+tulipifera


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## DPF

Has there been any more clarificaton on this topic? I have a 5' Tulip tree at my Mothers that I can have. I have room for it and it will fit in great in my back yard.

My only concern is when to move it. I'm in Northern Illinois. I was planning on Early Spring until I found this thread. Maybe I should consider doing it now? Any input?

Thanks
-DPF


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## Elmore

*Clarification*

The clarification is in the body of this thread and all over the inter-net. You decide.


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## gasman

Elmore said:


> Mid-summer...yes I hear you mocking me but my experience has shown that with small specimens of that species, summer is the most successful. Nursery practice for that species is spring before the buds pop. Somewhere I read that when moving a small Liriodendron tulipifera that summer is best. I have tried it when dormant and they failed but I have moved them in summer and they do well. You have to put the water to them though.
> Here is one in my yard. I moved it in mid-summer several years back. It was about 2'-3' tall when I moved it.



I transplanted two tulip poplar last year during winter dormancy. A three foot and a two foot specimen. They both tried to emerge but never got any further. I wish this thread had come up earlier, I would have tried mid-summer. I guess I'll wait until spring now.


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## mga

some one gave me 5 of them this past summer...about 3 feet tall and i planted them as soon as i got home. they are doing great and have grown slightly. supposedly they grow about 36 inches per year.

i made the mistake of planting two of them only 9 feet apart so i'll move one of them this fall.


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## Elmore

:hmm3grin2orange:


mga said:


> some one gave me 5 of them this past summer...about 3 feet tall and i planted them as soon as i got home. they are doing great and have grown slightly. supposedly they grow about 36 inches per year.
> 
> i made the mistake of planting two of them only 9 feet apart so i'll move one of them this fall.



Another possible mistake...transplanting this species in fall!

Read my lips...:hmm3grin2orange:...transplant in spring to mid-summer!


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## computeruser

What about bare-root trees shipped in the fall? How can their success rate be maximized, since it sounds like these guys prefer mid-summer transplanting? I'd hate to think that I wasted my $14 on a couple of 'em from ArborDay's Tree Store...


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## gasman

Just a guess. They might do better as bareroot or container grown than my attempt at transplanting did. I dug out big rootball, to the size I had to carry the root ball with my front loader, but I still cut a couple big roots. 

What do you think big E?


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## Elmore

computeruser said:


> What about bare-root trees shipped in the fall? How can their success rate be maximized, since it sounds like these guys prefer mid-summer transplanting? I'd hate to think that I wasted my $14 on a couple of 'em from ArborDay's Tree Store...



That doesn't sound too good but they may make it. As I stated before : "Nursery practice for that species is spring before the buds pop."
If you can, keep stored in a refrigerator until spring planting.


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## Elmore

gasman said:


> Just a guess. They might do better as bareroot or container grown than my attempt at transplanting did. I dug out big rootball, to the size I had to carry the root ball with my front loader, but I still cut a couple big roots.
> 
> What do you think big E?



I think that timing is essential along with proper planting and after care. Look for smaller trees to dig in spring-summer. As you know they grow real fast.
Or plant some Ginkgoes!


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## Asterglow

Elmore said:


> Dang...jrparbor04. Your suggestion goes against all the documented information on transplanting Liriodendron tulipifera that I have read. All that I've looked at recently says "spring". My experience says don't guess at it. Research it!
> I have researched it and I have practiced it. The large tree pictured was about 2' tall, in full leaf, dug out of the woods and transplanted in mid-summer. It didn't skip a beat. Once again, you must put the water to it until reestablished. An adequate mulching is also required.
> 
> "Tuliptree is extremely sensitive to being transplanted in the Autumn (a general characteristic of fleshy-rooted and coarsely-rooted woody plants), and extra care should be taken to amend the soil, fertilize, water thoroughly, mulch adequately, and avoid Winter salt spray, to enhance survival chances during the first Winter, if transplanting cannot be delayed until Spring"
> http://hcs.osu.edu/pocketgardener/source/description/li_ifera.html
> 
> "Trees can be planted from containers at any time in the south but transplanting from a field nursery should be done in spring, followed by faithful watering."
> http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ST363
> 
> "Planting Notes:
> Difficult to transplant. Once established, it is a fast growing tree. Move young plants with balled and burlapped roots in the spring. Plant in a location where it will have plenty of room to develop. Select a site with fertile, deep, moist soil."
> http://www.treehelp.com/trees/tuliptree/index.asp
> 
> "Any transplanting is best done in May[11]."
> http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Liriodendron+tulipifera


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## Asterglow

I have a volunteer tulip tree, almost 5' high but very small trunk. It needs to be moved, and I would like to pot it and donate to a fundraiser plant sale. The sale will take place in July, but should I dig it out now and give it time to settle into its large pot? I have a couple of pots with slots in the side as used by Possibility Place in Monee, IL, that I thought would be the best option. What do you think?


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