I was on the train to my mother’s house in a small village in the country. I was living in a city and had no need for my own car, as everything I needed was close to hand (pubs mainly). If I did need to venture further a field I would use the public transport system as we had buses trains, trams and cycle paths everywhere if you wanted to go it alone.
My mission for the day was to dig up a large yucca that was slowly taking over my mothers’ driveway. She was concerned that the roots would undermine the foundations of the house. It was early March and an ideal time to be moving shrubs.
I had done a bit of preparation work earlier on in the previous year. About 9 months previous I had dug a circular trench one-spade width wide parallel with the leaf spread of the yucca. Then I had back filled the trench with sharp sand to encourage fibrous, feeding root growth, which would help the plant to re-establish quickly after it had been moved and re-planted.
MOVING THE LARGE YUCCA
The yucca was definitely too big for its spot so after a cup of tea and a chat with my mother to get the local gossip (the man at number 32 still sits on a kitchen chair on the pavement and supervises his wife as she washes his car), I carefully set about digging up the twenty year old ten-foot palm. The preparation work paid off and after about an hour of digging I managed to prize it from the side of the driveway and carefully placed the root ball, complete with fibrous roots, in a large industrial bin bag. I got loads of duct tape around it for strength, which sealed it up to keep the moisture in. The reason for this attention to detail was that the plant was coming home with me on the train to be pride of place in a communal garden in the block of inner city flats where I was living.
The journey back on the train was a bit uncomfortable as the train was full of holidaymakers coming back from a dull day at Skegness (it’s a place on the east coast of England a bit like Portrush but not as pretty …you can’t see the sea when the tide goes out.) The yucca had it’s own seat and I did have a few admiring glances, (well I think they were), to which I nodded in approval.
CENTREPIECE
I eventually made it home to the flat, having dragged the plant and large root ball for a mile through the city, leaving a trail of soil and bits of duct tape behind me, and set about digging a hole for the plant to be put into. It took a while, as I wanted it to be firmly set into the ground so the wind didn’t rock it about.
Moving any established tree or shrub is risky and sometimes, in my case, embarrassing. Any plant will suffer stress when uprooted, which often results in growth being checked. I was willing to take a chance with the yucca.
PLANTING THE MOVED SHRUB
Back in my garden, the hole I had dug was the same size as the root spread plus an extra 50cm (20in) wide and about 30cm (12in) in depth. I forked over the bottom of the hole, adding some rich organic matter to help establish the growth and reduce it dying back. The rootball was taken out of what was left of the bin bag that was protecting it and then I placed the plant carefully into the hole, spreading out the fibrous roots.
My mission for the day was to dig up a large yucca that was slowly taking over my mothers’ driveway. She was concerned that the roots would undermine the foundations of the house. It was early March and an ideal time to be moving shrubs.
I had done a bit of preparation work earlier on in the previous year. About 9 months previous I had dug a circular trench one-spade width wide parallel with the leaf spread of the yucca. Then I had back filled the trench with sharp sand to encourage fibrous, feeding root growth, which would help the plant to re-establish quickly after it had been moved and re-planted.
MOVING THE LARGE YUCCA
The yucca was definitely too big for its spot so after a cup of tea and a chat with my mother to get the local gossip (the man at number 32 still sits on a kitchen chair on the pavement and supervises his wife as she washes his car), I carefully set about digging up the twenty year old ten-foot palm. The preparation work paid off and after about an hour of digging I managed to prize it from the side of the driveway and carefully placed the root ball, complete with fibrous roots, in a large industrial bin bag. I got loads of duct tape around it for strength, which sealed it up to keep the moisture in. The reason for this attention to detail was that the plant was coming home with me on the train to be pride of place in a communal garden in the block of inner city flats where I was living.
The journey back on the train was a bit uncomfortable as the train was full of holidaymakers coming back from a dull day at Skegness (it’s a place on the east coast of England a bit like Portrush but not as pretty …you can’t see the sea when the tide goes out.) The yucca had it’s own seat and I did have a few admiring glances, (well I think they were), to which I nodded in approval.
CENTREPIECE
I eventually made it home to the flat, having dragged the plant and large root ball for a mile through the city, leaving a trail of soil and bits of duct tape behind me, and set about digging a hole for the plant to be put into. It took a while, as I wanted it to be firmly set into the ground so the wind didn’t rock it about.
Moving any established tree or shrub is risky and sometimes, in my case, embarrassing. Any plant will suffer stress when uprooted, which often results in growth being checked. I was willing to take a chance with the yucca.
PLANTING THE MOVED SHRUB
Back in my garden, the hole I had dug was the same size as the root spread plus an extra 50cm (20in) wide and about 30cm (12in) in depth. I forked over the bottom of the hole, adding some rich organic matter to help establish the growth and reduce it dying back. The rootball was taken out of what was left of the bin bag that was protecting it and then I placed the plant carefully into the hole, spreading out the fibrous roots.
The old soil-mark on the stem of the yucca was the guide to the correct new planting depth. This would prevent replanting too deeply (one of the biggest killers of all plants). Equally, planting with upper roots exposed will damage most plants, so they were pushed well in. I firmed around the yucca, which gets rid of air pockets. Just for good measure I staked it with two poles laid at a 45 degree angle and tied around the plant stem and then watered it in.
FANTASTIC
It looked fantastic and set the garden off a treat, a truly great centrepiece that the residents will enjoy for years to come. It was getting dark by now so I went indoors, feeling as though I had done a good job.
Someone else must also have thought it looked good too. The following morning I got up and opened the curtains to admire my handiwork. The yucca was conspicuous by its absence and there was only a gaping hole to show where it had been.
I am not really sure what happened to the majestic centrepiece, as it was never seen again. There was a report of a white transit van driving away down the road at high speed very early in the morning…..
But there’s nothing strange or unusual about that….. is there?…..
FANTASTIC
It looked fantastic and set the garden off a treat, a truly great centrepiece that the residents will enjoy for years to come. It was getting dark by now so I went indoors, feeling as though I had done a good job.
Someone else must also have thought it looked good too. The following morning I got up and opened the curtains to admire my handiwork. The yucca was conspicuous by its absence and there was only a gaping hole to show where it had been.
I am not really sure what happened to the majestic centrepiece, as it was never seen again. There was a report of a white transit van driving away down the road at high speed very early in the morning…..
But there’s nothing strange or unusual about that….. is there?…..
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