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Green fingered advice needed please!

Nikkers profile image
58 Replies

As some of you may know - I'm about to lose the tiny piece of garden that I have? In itself that's upsetting, but the worst is I shall be losing my trees which I've grown over the past 14 years.

My beautiful Laburnum has just finished blooming and I want to move it to my front garden. Please can anyone advise me if it's possible and will it survive?? How can it be done....if at all?

I'm grateful for any input. Thank you in advance. Nikki XX

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Nikkers profile image
Nikkers
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58 Replies
huggs profile image
huggs

Hi Nikkers,

Sorry, I cannot give you any advice on this, but just wanted to say how lovely your tree is and I hope you can get it transferred safely to your front garden.

hugs from Huggs xxx :)

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply tohuggs

Thank you Huggs. I know a lot of people aren't silly over trees as I am, but this one is special to me. Fingers crossed! XX

in reply tohuggs

Im watching you lady

huggs profile image
huggs in reply to

Who me, Mandy? Ooooh I am so scared now! lol That was hours ago I replied. Then your response came up on my notifications so I had to look, and it would be rude not to reply, especially to you, as I might get telling off. ha ha

hugs from Huggs xxx :)

tomc profile image
tomc

Hi nikkers, You will have to dig about three feet away form the trunk all the way round until the tree could lay flat on the ground.

Keeping as much of the original soil as possible wrap the root ball in hessian ( sack ) and transfer the tree to the front.

Dig an equivalent sized hole for the root ball and line it with some good quality fertilizer.. drop the root ball in to place and then remove the Hessian, build up the earth and tred in well.

Give it a good old watering and if necessary stake it to keep it straight..

Job done.. have a puff on the puffer and a half bottle of vodka !!!

Tom.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply totomc

Thank you so much Tom. My Grandson will be the one to do it - I'll just stand by and organise - so I'll still need the puffer - and the vodka! Lol. :-D

huggs profile image
huggs in reply toNikkers

That's good to hear it can be done Nikkers, as I love trees too, and that is a beauty! Don't overdo the vodka, don't want you falling down the hole! lol

hugs from Huggs xxx :)

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply tohuggs

If I drink 1/2 a bottle, I don't think I'll know much about it, will I?

lol. :-D

huggs profile image
huggs in reply toNikkers

I have tried to reply to you before, but a pink banner keeps appearing, and it says, " You do not have permission to perform this action" !"!! Whats all that about I wonder. lol

I was going to say, if it will let me, dunno about the vodka, so you will maybe need to try it, lol, and be sure to have someone with a camera standing by. ha ha ha

hugs from Huggs xxx :)

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply tohuggs

I did get your last message hugs - thank you. Don't know what the pink banner is all about?

If I'm not on the site for a while it'll be because I HAVE fallen down the hole! Lol. :-D

huggs profile image
huggs in reply toNikkers

Don't know either! It was quite funny, must have been a glitch somewhere.

Okay, will send out a search party if we don't hear from you.lol

Good luck with your erm tree!

hugs from Huggs xxx :)

chopsticks profile image
chopsticks in reply tohuggs

I have 2 laburnam at the bottom of my garden, it's a pity the blossom doesn't last long, they are beutiful. Chris x

sassy59 profile image
sassy59

Hi Nikkers, glad you have had some good advice about moving your beautiful tree. Such lovely blooms. Not too sure about the vodka but mine's a G&T. Hic!

Take care and good luck with the tree. xxxxxx :)

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers

Thanks Sassy. Just got to get someone to do it for me now. Not sure when my Grandson will be here next and can 't leave it too long. I'll join you in that drink - I'm going to need it! XX

etch45 profile image
etch45

I agree with tomc......it can be done but it's very hard work, you would need about six strong men. let us know how you get on.

I have moved trees before and both the tree and yourself will need lots of TLC. x

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toetch45

Never had any TLC in my life Etch, but will certainly give my tree plenty. Bottoms up! XX

etch45 profile image
etch45

What age is your Laburnum ? it looks very beautiful.

Mine is about 6ft and looks like a stick with a little green hat and a dash of yellow.!!!!!

I just love my garden, it's just a pity we don't have the weather, like nothing more than sitting in the garden with a good book and a glass of red...lol xxx

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toetch45

It's 6/7 years old - well that's how long I've had it. It was just a tiny thing when I got it and only had 1 bloom the first year, but has increased year by year. XX

Lynda1952 profile image
Lynda1952

Don't know about moving trees but hope that it will be successful as the tree is beautiful. Good luck. Maybe half bottle of vodka before the tree is moved and the other half afterwards! Try not to fall down any holes xx

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers

Blimey Lyn, I wouldn't be able to even see the hole, let alone fall down it if I'd drank that much! Lol :-D

I would imagine that you wait till it stops blooming and stops growing for the season and just dig it up taking as much soil as you can

I would feel just the same but why are you losing the garden

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply to

Long story Mandy. In short - I live in a HA house which in1994 they took some land from another house which runs along the bottom of my garden to give us a liveable space . Since then the other house has been sold and the owner's now claiming the land back. :-(

in reply toNikkers

Oh thats rotten......my first thought was can they do that but i would imagine the lawyers from HA would have looked into it...........it dosnt seem right though x x x

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply to

It's far from right Mandy, but I've been in touch with everyone who's anyone about it, to no avail. The CC made an almighty cock-up 21 years ago and now myself and my neighbour are bearing the fall out from it. They have broken my tenancy agreement, which I would never have signed had I known about this at the time. My neighbour has moved (yesterday) but I'm stuck with it!

in reply toNikkers

Its discusting.....is there no organisation that preserve trees who could help x x x

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply to

No Mandy, it's not a tree that comes under preservation. It's now officially on someone else's land, so I have to move it. XX

in reply toNikkers

It could have been worse honey they could have stopped you taking it x x

etch45 profile image
etch45

Yes Why are you losing your garden?

I hope you are able to transplant it, it is beautiful.

etch45 xx

You've been given excellent advice over your beautiful tree...please may I have a glass of good red wine...don't like vodka...!

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply to

Sorry Vashti, I don't drink wine. I've got some Elderberry champagne which I made a few years ago if that will suffice? lol

Mavary profile image
Mavary

What a beautiful tree. I hope you have success with it. X

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toMavary

Thank you Mavary. I'm keeping everything crossed. I'll give it a good talking to and a cuddle before it gets moved. Lol. :=)

Mavary profile image
Mavary

Hi Nikkers. Laburnum is beautiful but be careful with it as it's very poisonous. Just blow kisses to it and give it plenty of water every day for a while. It will probably take a few years to come back as it is, if it survives. I've not had much success with trees. Xx

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toMavary

They always say that about Laburnums Mavary, but I've never had any ill effects from cuddling them or kissing them. Years ago, I had another tree like this before I moved to here, and we had a rabbit that munched on the leaves when he was loose in the garden and it never seemed to do him any harm! Maybe some are - and some aren't? Or maybe they just like me? Lol

Mavary profile image
Mavary

I've just looked it up and apparently it is the worst plant for poison but that's if you consume any. So make sure you don't eat any. Ha ha!. I always thought it was if you touched it so now I've learned something. Anyway I really hope it grows for you.

Azure_Sky profile image
Azure_Sky

It is only the actual pods that are poisonous if you eat them. I have never come across, or heard of anybody, actually being poisoned by Laburnum pods. I love them, such beautiful trees.

The pods probably taste disgusting and probably have to be consumed in large quantities.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toAzure_Sky

I agree AS. What would possess anyone (other than children) to want to eat any of it anyway? :-)

Bernardbreather profile image
Bernardbreather

Cut a wide trench around it , that will sever a lot of roots but they will reshoot over time, backfill the trench with gravel. then dig it up after when there are nice healthy roots coming off the cut ones. Also give it a 1/2 to 2/3 prune at the same time as you sever the roots (ideally in Winter). We used to use bobcats for this.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toBernardbreather

I really appreciate the advise Bernard, but time is not on my side. It has to be done sooner than later as the LA are taking my garden. Had I realised years ago that this was going to happen, I would not have planted it there - or my other trees for that matter. It's causing a lot of upset. :-(

Bernardbreather profile image
Bernardbreather in reply toNikkers

I wouldn't risk it then looking at the size of the tree and the amount of flowers on it at the moment. It will need a long recovery from flowering and disturbing the roots in any way will thwart that. You may succeed if you prune it back very hard, but that will compromise future growth. Hard to tell though from this distance.

Spring and Fall

BY GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS

to a young child

Márgarét, áre you gríeving

Over Goldengrove unleaving?

Leáves like the things of man, you

With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?

Ah! ás the heart grows older

It will come to such sights colder

By and by, nor spare a sigh

Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;

And yet you wíll weep and know why.

Now no matter, child, the name:

Sórrow’s spríngs áre the same.

Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed

What heart heard of, ghost guessed:

It ís the blight man was born for,

It is Margaret you mourn for.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toBernardbreather

The pic' was taken a month ago Bernard, it's finished flowering now and shed all its blooms. A friend of mine pruned a similar sized tree when I moved from my last home - and killed it, so I'm not chancing that again! I'm in negotiation with someone about it right now (who seems to know what they're doing?) and hoping they will be able to do it for me?

To be honest, I cannot imagine any "young child" understanding that poem - very strange! XX

Bernardbreather profile image
Bernardbreather in reply toNikkers

I guess the poem is more about feeling than for understanding.

Azure_Sky profile image
Azure_Sky in reply toBernardbreather

How do you catch a bobcat to sever the roots? Wouldn't a beaver have sharper teeth?

Lolly2 profile image
Lolly2

What a lovely tree! Just be careful about moving it into a public area...some places don't like Laburnums because of children being poisoned by the seeds. Sorry, but I do not know if it will survive....check up on internet.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toLolly2

It's not a public area Lolly. I live in a very small village and it will be on my private front garden. The road I live is 90% elderly people and there is only 1 child that lives here. I appreciate your concern. XX

Dragonmum profile image
Dragonmum

Moving a mature tree is always a bit hit-and-miss - I moved a very elderly plum once and it cropped heavier than ever before, but alas that was its swan-song, obviously didn't like its new home. Bernard's method is spot-on & you have nothing to lose by trying.

Azure_Sky profile image
Azure_Sky

I personally agree with Tom's advice.

Here is a link to the Royal Horticultural Society.

rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?P...

After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained. You might as well try. In England, trees get moved successfully. I would do it early in the day when it is still cool.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toAzure_Sky

Thank you AS, I'll certainly see what they have to say. XX

Azure_Sky profile image
Azure_Sky

Laburnum's reputation as being a danger is unfair. I looked on a lot of sites. A child would have eat at least 20 seeds to be poisoned, even then, there is cure.

thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/...

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers

I'd like to see them try! lol.

rubyred777 profile image
rubyred777

Hi Nikkers

What a glorious tree.!! I would most definitely be upset too! What great advice you've been given. Can you wait till its done blooming? I believe Mandy is correct in saying that. Good luck to you. I'm sure you'll let us know how you do.

Rubyxx😊

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers

I shall certainly let you know Ruby. It has finished blooming, but it's really not a good time to move it yet. I'm going to wait as long as I can before it's done. XX

Bernardbreather profile image
Bernardbreather

If you feel comfortable about you might sit down and have a good ol pow wow with the tree about the whole matter. It works for me.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers in reply toBernardbreather

Oh, I intend to Bernard. I'm a tree hugger and I always talk to them. I have an enormous sycamore which I grew from an "airplane" in 2000, and I shall definitely be losing that as it could never be moved. I haven't told it yet, but I think it might be strong enough to take it? Lol

Azure_Sky profile image
Azure_Sky

It would be worth keeping seeds from your laburnum. If you could hang on until September or October it would so much better.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers

I shall definitely keep some seeds AS, but don't think I can wait until Sep/Oct as they're coming to measure the land on 7th July. I shall leave it as long as I can though.

tomc profile image
tomc

Nikkers, No problem talking to trees or plants, Unless , they talk back...

Then you would wind up in the funny farm!!!.

Tom.

Nikkers profile image
Nikkers

No worries Tom, There are quite a few that think I should be there already! Lol. :-D

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