Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:175110

I have a virburnum bodnantense "dawn" in the garden which has been there
just over 3 years and is about 5 foot high, a foot and a half across. Will I
be able to move it without killing it? If so is there a best way? (I'd want
to if we moved house so could not be too picky about timing - it would
probably be in spring, but I could move it to a pot before hand - have also
heard that I should try cutting round the roots now - is this true? I know
that these things are supposed to be done when plant is dormant but as it is
flowering now was not sure when the plant was dormant ).
Hayley

The message
from "H Ryder" contains these words:

I have a virburnum bodnantense "dawn" in the garden which has been there
just over 3 years and is about 5 foot high, a foot and a half across. Will I
be able to move it without killing it? If so is there a best way? (I'd want
to if we moved house so could not be too picky about timing - it would
probably be in spring, but I could move it to a pot before hand - have also
heard that I should try cutting round the roots now - is this true? I know
that these things are supposed to be done when plant is dormant but as it is
flowering now was not sure when the plant was dormant ).

They do move quite easily, as the root ball tends to be dense and
shallow, but don't expect much growth for a couple of years afterwards.
This may negate the motive for moving a larger plant :-) Has it made any
sucker growths from the base yet? If so, I'd pot up the sucker instead.
In a few years time, a well fed youngster will be a bigger, faster
growing plant than its transplanted parent.

Janet.