There are many reasons to think about transplanting a tree. Sometimes you can also see that tree nurseries are planting fully grown chestnuts. However, these are specially treated, which does not apply to a "normal" chestnut tree in the garden.

The smaller the tree, the easier it is to transplant

When is the best time to transplant?

When it comes to timing, two considerations are important. On the one hand, the tree should be transplanted as young as possible, because an older chestnut is reluctant to change location. So if it is foreseeable that your chestnut will not always be able to stay where it grew, then react as soon as possible.

The second consideration is the time of year. It should be frost-free and the chestnut should not have any leaves. This makes your work easier, but above all it makes it easier for your chestnut to grow. Because without leaves, the evaporation of moisture is very low and the chestnut dries out less quickly.

What is the best way to transplant a chestnut?

If you really have to, dig up your chestnut carefully. Injury to the roots can hardly be prevented, but should be kept to a minimum. Dig a sufficiently large planting hole at the new location, put in a little well-rotted compost and plant the chestnut.

Then water the tree thoroughly. It will also need a little more water than usual in the next few days. Avoid waterlogging now, too, otherwise you risk fungus infesting the roots. If necessary, cut back the shoots of the chestnut by about a third, this reduces the water requirement.

Do I have to pay special attention to anything when transplanting?

The chestnut feels most comfortable where it grew. Therefore, you should dig up the root ball as completely as possible with the surrounding soil. On the one hand, many of the small, sensitive hair roots remain intact, and on the other hand, the chestnut takes its usual microclimate with it into the new environment. The size of the root ball roughly corresponds to the circumference of the tree crown.

The essentials in brief:

  • Carefully dig up the chestnut
  • Keep root damage to a minimum
  • Water well after transplanting

tips

Only transplant your chestnut if absolutely necessary.

Category:

Trees