quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Probably not an issue to move them. Try grabbing them close to the roots and give a steady, even pull and see if they'll come out of the ground with the entire root ball. You should also be able to trim them with a hedge trimmer, if you want to leave them there.

Hey uh, Jimmy?

Why would you tell someone to do this?

I've watched my landscaper do this several times with hedge type bushes on relatively newly planted landscaping, hedge bushes that were planted within the last 6 months. I've also seen another landscaper from a professional company do it as well. Maybe with certain types of hedge bushes it's not a problem? I figured that was normal, as I've seen it done several times with no ill effects. I don't know.

So, a few things. I guess it bears discussing what constitutes a "professional". If you believe that anyone who receives payment for their service is a professional then perhaps these landscapers you observed were "professional"...but if you believe that along with receiving payment that they provide not only labor but credible experience and knowledge to go with the labor then I would suggest they were not in fact "professional".

Now, having said that, a couple caveats. If the plants being removed are to be allowed to die then properly transplanting them doesn't matter and there is no sense wasting the customer's money on labor costs to properly handle a plant that is destined to be trashed. For instance, if a plant was already dead or if the plant had been diagnosed with disease or insect damage that it couldn't recover from...or if the home/ business owner decides they don't like the plant and want to remove/ replace it.

Also, and this is a "professional" call, on rare occasions, it is possible to gently pull up on the shrub by the branches, and hopefully get the plant root system to come up with the greenery in some semblance of a root system. Knowing how recently the shrub was planted, as well as the type of soil as well as knowing just how wet or dry the soil surrounding the roots is paramount. Considering that even if a shrub was planted only a few weeks earlier, if it is "happy" where it is it should be putting out at least some roots into the surrounding soil to anchor itself, this is risky action to take and I just can't recommend it...even if someone successfully gets away with it once or twice. Generally speaking, this (not recommended) method has a better chance of working if the shrubs were originally "container" grown as opposed to "B&B or Bagged & Burlapped".

Yes, the correct way to transplant an established plant is time consuming and expensive, and only the professional and ultimately the customer can determine if it is worth it.

The shrubs pictured in the OP indicate to me that they are established and not recently planted.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Probably not an issue to move them. Try grabbing them close to the roots and give a steady, even pull and see if they'll come out of the ground with the entire root ball. You should also be able to trim them with a hedge trimmer, if you want to leave them there.

Hey uh, Jimmy?

Why would you tell someone to do this?

I've watched my landscaper do this several times with hedge type bushes on relatively newly planted landscaping, hedge bushes that were planted within the last 6 months. I've also seen another landscaper from a professional company do it as well. Maybe with certain types of hedge bushes it's not a problem? I figured that was normal, as I've seen it done several times with no ill effects. I don't know.

You have even a clue as to how many people have been killed because of advice based on the two highlighted portions of your last?

Maybe, just maybe, instead of trying to be the smartest member on this forum you attempt to be one of the wisest and stop posting advice based on what you "figured."

I am thinking they look like "Dwarf Yuban" pronounced "Youpon". God likes them because they refuse to die.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

I've watched…
I figured that…
I don't know.

When the first two are the sum total of your experience, the third most certainly applies and that's OK. Just say you don't know, but you've seen such and such before and no one will jump on you for giving monumentally bad advice.

I’m a big fan of using the excavator to grab certain “bushes” by the hair and yanking them out. The only more satisfying part of the operation is using the excavator to feed them through the chipper after popping them out and shaking the dirt off of the root ball.

For things (trees or shrubs) I’d actually like to transplant and have live though, it is a *much* more involved process, best described by MDS above.

ETA: The former process is more fun than the latter, but doesn’t result in a viable transplant. Of course, that is the goal...

Transplanting is a lot of work. I have done it successfully with small trees and shrubs. It does slow the growth substantially if the plant lives. Sometimes the best solution is to yank them out and replace with something that will not outgrow the area. The plants you are talking about are not terribly expensive.

Planting shrubs that are too big and planting trees too closer together are common problems that could be easily avoided with the consultation of a professional. I have had professionals draw up the plans for a fee and done the work myself. It pays off in time.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Transplanting is a lot of work. I have done it successfully with small trees and shrubs. It does slow the growth substantially if the plant lives. Sometimes the best solution is to yank them out and replace with something that will not outgrow the area. The plants you are talking about are not terribly expensive.

Planting shrubs that are too big and planting trees too closer together are common problems that could be easily avoided with the consultation of a professional. I have had professionals draw up the plans for a fee and done the work myself. It pays off in time.

All good observations and advice.

When I was in the business we offered our customers a few different options:

-We would sell them the plant material and give them some basic advice. If they planted the plants themselves the warranty on the plants was limited by type and was the shortest warranty we offered as we didn't have any control as to where or how the customer planted the plants and there was a greater likelihood of mistakes made that would lead to the death or distress of the plant.

-Customers could hire one of our professional designers who, after visiting the area to be landscaped and consulting with the home owner or business owner, would draw up a landscape design that the home owner could "buy" from them and then buy the plants and materials from whichever garden center they wanted to, in which case there would be no warranty from us.

-or option 3 was to have our landscape designer draw up a master plan, go over it with the home owner, and then the home owner could hire us to both provide and install the landscape design. If the homeowner went this route we would "refund" the cost of the landscape design by offering them a discount on plant material that we installed up to the original cost of the design. As our professional crews were hired to install the landscape design we offered the customer our longest warranty (plant type dependent).

Often, home owners would pay for the initial landscape design and then hire us to install the design, but in the case of more elaborate and expensive designs it would be a "phased" project, with the overall project broken into smaller ones which would allow the home owner to install part of the design at that time, then allow 6 months to a year to budget for the next phase.

In some instances, over a period of years, we got to know our customers well as we repeatedly came back to install various phases of the design. I always enjoyed having the opportunity to watch a landscape design go from a drawing to installation, and then to come back as it grew in.

My personal opinion is that one of the mistakes made by home owners/ business owners, and sometimes facilitated by some professional landscape designers is that they want a finished landscape design to look complete as soon as the installation crew leaves. For this to happen it requires using over-sized plants and/ or using too many shrubs and crowding them into a design space. Obviously some landscape designers like this idea because they can sell more plants than are really necessary or healthy.

A recently-installed landscape design should accomplish what it was intended to accomplish and it should look good...but it shouldn't look mature or completely filled in. A good landscape design should, over time, grow to fill in space and take on a mature more filled out appearance.

Are those Global Arborvita? If you're determined to move and save them you're going to need one of these: https://www.amleo.com/king-of-...-grip-handle/p/KS12/

I have one and it's my favorite tool but for $90 I'd just trash them and replace them with nice decorative boulders. Those won't grow much.

Mark, how come the spade is ninety bucks? I see it is from A.M. Leonard. What makes it cost so much? Is this like getting Felco bypass pruners?? Thanks

These were planted 4 years ago and doing really well. The one is slightly smaller as we had to a section out 2 years ago as I am pretty sure a dog was peeing on it. It developed a huge brown dead section.
They are doing well so they will stay put. What is the best way to trim them?
We wanted them to go in front of the windows on the right side of the picture. Does not look like it from the angle but there is quite a bit of room between the house and the pink flowers.

We bought the house and the yard and beds were a nightmare. Tons of hard work and this is the best they have looked. Though there is still lots of work to be done.

They are evergreens of some sort. I am pretty sure lollipop, gum drop, or something of the sort was in the name of them.

You need to know the name to determine how big they will get. I think it is some form of arborvitae like Golden Globe. If so, it can get 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.

It is not a good practice to plant something like this near a side walk when you have to deal with moving stuff in and out or in the winter time when you have to shovel snow.

You can trim them back but as time goes on, the branches will get thicker and they will not look as good.

Usually a shrub like this is used for a boundary or border along the property line like a hedge.

Depending on your soil, if it is loose and not hard packed, you could use a tine spading fork to loose the soil around the root ball to get it out.

If you are going to move it, water around the plant several days before moving and lift it onto a small tarp to wrap the root ball to keep the roots from drying out.

la-83958818111&wl5=9007563&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=112562587&wl11=online&wl12=19855386&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjwzdLrBRBiEiwAEHrAYtuuooBRv05xmeQP2LhYJ0mCDU4FORNSJfgBasAUnsuY_nIiI1xJuhoCE7UQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tru...iI1xJuhoCE7UQAvD_BwE

We purchased these for this spot specifically because it was our understanding they were not supposed to get this big.

The one on the left is about the size we expected and is fine for this. The other two are bigger than we had expected and just a touch too big for the spot.

If you had your old receipt or can find out the item number, maybe you could find out the name.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Mark, how come the spade is ninety bucks? I see it is from A.M. Leonard. What makes it cost so much? Is this like getting Felco bypass pruners?? Thanks

I honestly can't recall if I ever used any A.M. Leonard tools but in reading the specs I think you are right in comparing it to a quality tool. It has all the features I would want for a hard use spade, they describe it as professional grade...and it comes with a 5 year warranty which says a lot about their confidence in a hard use tool. It is probably more than a casual home owner needs for most home yard use, but having seen how well cheap tools stand up to hard use and how broken tools can impact a job, I would want a spade like this if I was still in the biz.

Ah wow, Felco bypass pruners, that brings back memories. We mostly were outfitted by the company and they generally gave us good tools...but I never liked the pruners our trucks were issued so I had the manager order me a personal set and I splurged and got the uber expensive but ohh so nice fancy Swiss Felco model with the ergonomic rolling grip. Made pruning a true pleasure. Years later, after I left the Industry, I somehow lost them and tried to order another set but was told they no longer made that model. Same thing happened to my last Sheffield Steel pruning knife...all the good gear seems to be phased out over time which makes them all that more precious.

Leonard is full retail but they do have sales at times. I have their tree pruning equipment with the fiberglass poles.

There are other brands that are just as good like True Temper.

I like Fiskers tools for the money. Their log splitter axe has a wedge built in.

la-84052448471&wl5=9007576&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=20563578&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjwzdLrBRBiEiwAEHrAYnw47r5CAR8WOoJICFHlxebjbV1FL-vRbWE1d_44sKBSCFjE5h4gXRoC6PEQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fis...E5h4gXRoC6PEQAvD_BwE

FELCO’s with the rotary ergo handle are available to purchase, just google FELCO hand pruner rotary handle.

I’ve got a FELCO, can’t recall the model number.

In a moment of inattention I ended up with 5 stitches, dang that hurt.

I’m amazed at how much more I like them every time I use them and how thick a branch they’ll cut with ease.

I had probably 8 or 10 hand pruners of various brands from the usual big box stores, including a $35 pair of Coronas. I kept the Corona as a backup and gave all the rest away. After using the FELCO for 3 years now I don’t even look at the Coronas.

I wipe it down with oil, keep it clean, have never needed to sharpen it. Replacement blades are available, as well as any part needed, not a throw away Chinese made piece of crap.

It’s a pleasure to use quality tools.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
They are doing well so they will stay put. What is the best way to trim them?
We wanted them to go in front of the windows on the right side of the picture. Does not look like it from the angle but there is quite a bit of room between the house and the pink flowers.

I think your first instinct to move them is a good one.
While we still don't know what specific shrub they are, several members have pointed out that, whatever they are, they are poorly located. Apparently they are causing you some inconvenience now, and, with time, the problems will only increase... especially if those of us who think it might be a Globe Arborvitae are correct. With time, and especially if poorly pruned, they tend to open up and get "leggy", develop brown or dead areas, and, at least in the case of the upright cultivar, tend to get Bag Worms although most people tend to think their cocoons are some sort of conifer like cone.

It's one of those deals where you can deal with the issue now, while the shrubs are smaller and easier to handle and more likely to tolerate transplanting...or, wait until they are bigger, heavier, and more cumbersome. Although putting them where you suggested wouldn't be my first choice, and as 41 suggested, they would be better used in other applications, relocating them to a foundational plant would be a better option (assuming conditions are similar to where they are now) than where they currently are...unless you are using them to screen a portion of your home from the street for some reason.

Also, keep in mind that most people don't know how to prune properly and improper pruning can cause a shrub to grow in ways they wouldn't normally grow in, and can also cause a decline in the health of the plant as it literally dies from the inside out.

I cringe when I see homeowners and even professional landscape maintenance crews use hedge clippers or electric trimming shears on some shrubs. People mistakenly think that many shrubs should be trimmed to a round or square shape never giving any thought to the fact that these same shrubs wouldn't grow that way in a natural setting. We would jokingly call this the "green meatball landscape design." Pruning is misunderstood as being a method for only reducing the overall size of a shrub and while the immediate effect of pruning does result in size reduction, it also promotes growth. Growth in itself isn't bad, but improper pruning over time can lead to excessive dense growth on the circumference of the plant while blocking sunlight, moisture, and a breeze from reaching the plant interior leading to decay. Proper pruning results in a slight "thinning" of the shrub (depending on what it is), and while there may be a slight reduction in overall height, I often strived so that an unobservant person wouldn't even notice that it had been pruned.

I'd say that landscape design is probably %70-75 technical knowledge (plant types, soils, sunlight vs. shade requirements, zones, growth characteristics, how designs are used to accomplish various things, etc...) and the other %25-30 is aesthetics and blending the landscape design into the other architectures like a home, fence, wall patio, etc...

Were it me I would deal with the problem now and transplant the shrubs to a more suitable location and use...but in the end it is your home and if you are happy with the way it is then you have your decision.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
There are other brands that are just as good like True Temper.

That was it! I know at least some of our tools were True Temper. I don't know anything about their current quality but they were solid hard use tools back then.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
FELCO’s with the rotary ergo handle are available to purchase, just google FELCO hand pruner rotary handle.

I’ve got a FELCO, can’t recall the model number.

In a moment of inattention I ended up with 5 stitches, dang that hurt.

I’m amazed at how much more I like them every time I use them and how thick a branch they’ll cut with ease.

I had probably 8 or 10 hand pruners of various brands from the usual big box stores, including a $35 pair of Coronas. I kept the Corona as a backup and gave all the rest away. After using the FELCO for 3 years now I don’t even look at the Coronas.

I wipe it down with oil, keep it clean, have never needed to sharpen it. Replacement blades are available, as well as any part needed, not a throw away Chinese made piece of crap.

It’s a pleasure to use quality tools.

Well I'll be darned! I had been led to believe they were no longer made (info from over 25 years ago) and so I never bothered to check. Per your suggestion a quick check shows them available at multiple stores...Amazon even has them listed for less than what I paid wholesale probably 30+ years ago. I'm not sure I can justify buying such a nice expensive set of pruners now considering that I haven't pruned in decades...but darnit, I want a set.

Corona, that was it! That's what we were typically issued. Not terrible, and I sometimes used them for a quick snip...but no comparison to the Felco.

Thanks for the info!

My wife says that it is a Mr. Bowling Ball Abrovitae.

https://www.naturehills.com/ar...itae-mr-bowling-ball

So they should be about as big as they can get but they are a bit cramped there.