I know this is not the right time of year but this is a "rescue mission" so I have no choice... I am going to dig up some mature elderberries and choke cherries and transplant them in an adjacent state. They will be dug up, driven about 8 hrs and probably won't go in the ground 'til the following day. Could someone give me tips on increasing their chance of survival? Would soaking in a bucket overnight be beneficial? Some sources I found say soak, others say don't....any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank-you!

Assuming your rescue shrubs are going in the back of a truck? Keep them covered with a tarp on the highway - will help preserve some leaf moisture.

Agree with the problem of moisture loss through the foliage...
Rather than soaking the roots... I'd heel the trees in a large container of soil for the ride... and I'd keep the container in the shade till the weather cooled off... planting them out with the autumn rains...
hopefully the trees will survive the experience...

Would help a lot if you'd told us where you were... "adjoining state" doesn't help much.

Up north... or in a rain forest, you can get away with a lot more than down here where I am...
at my house... even when I do everything right... it's still a hit or miss proposition.

Cindy,

Thanks for the help! No, I don't have a truck...they'll be in my car. Do you think I should prune them after digging them up? Would this reduce stress...to transport and transplant....or keep as many leaves as possible?

I was planning on either carrying them in a bucket w/a bit of water or if roots don't fit in bucket, maybe putting a bag around them to keep them from drying out. How does that sound?

Stone,

Thank-you for your suggestions. I was thinking of carrying them in a bucket or garbage bag to protect the roots. Sorry I should have said, location is going from NC mtns to Northern VA mtns....both can reach temps up to 90 in summer..... I'm taking them to VA where it tends to be slightly cooler. I don't have any containers big enough to heel these things in but it is a cove forest where if ground is mulched it rarely dries out and since these species are generally kind of weedy I was thinking they would probably survive....just wondering if I should prune them a bit to reduce leaf mass and evaporation...and possibly stimulate growth....don't laugh...I'm clueless

I think the tops should be cut back quite a bit, and for transporting I would use heavy duty garbage bags to put the root ends in, with some additional soil, watered but not completely soggy. When you replant them, dig a larger hole than they need (say, at least twice as big) and be sure to water very well, and continue to provide water for the rest of the season. And if your weather is very hot, providing them with some shade would likely be helpful. Anything that you can do to reduce stress will increase their chance of living

It is early enough in the season that any new growth brought on by pruning won't affect the survival of the shrubs through the winter. Weedwacker and Stone have great advice! Just be careful about keeping them overly-wet once they're planted - not soggy or drippy.

Yeah, use dirt, not water. For one, water will be a lot heavier and harder on you plus it is harder to contain. Also, plants need to breath, not just have access to water. If you keep roots in just water that could kill it too.

Thank-you so much!! You have all been so helpful! So, I am going to dig these tree/large shrubs up, prune them, place them in heavy duty bags with damp but not overly wet dirt, secure them in some large boxes (not to enclose in boxes but more like trays to minimise movement and mess), drive them to VA, remove them from car, place them in deer proof, shady location, spray us all with the hose for added moisture (but not too much), leave them there overnight and collapse. Sound about right ? By the way...anyone familiar with these species happen to know whether deer eat them?

That sounds like a good plan to me! It will be quite a bit of work, so I hope it all works out for you .
I think the deer may nibble them a bit, but they apparently aren't a preferred species for them because they are natives here (and probably where you are, as well), and they manage to thrive without any protection out in the wild. Birds will certainly eat the berries, though.

Now, where are my manners?! I see I forgot to say "Welcome to NGA, @outofthegreen " !!

Elderberries for me are a really easy keeper - no amount of wacking, mowing, or anything else seems to stop them (western Washington). My sister has the same luck with choke cherries (eastern Washington). So a lot will depend on whether either of these plants are suitable to your new climate. Good luck!

Sandy, thanks for the welcome! I'm planting them for the birds and bees so that suits all of us!

Deb, I understand that they are weedy species but that is really all that survives around here....that way I can hide some other plants around them or in between and they are less likely to be noticed by the deer....so for me the more aggressive the better!

Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) are quite deer-resistant. They receive top rating ("A") by Rutgers. Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is prone to some grazing. That gets a "B" by Rutgers standards. Here's my go-to link for deer: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerr....

Welcome to NGA, and best of luck with the new residents. Do keep them well watered, whether you decided to put them in the ground sooner or later. And erring on the side of shade is definitely wise. The advice here is good.

I would also consider a transplant solution like Quick Start to help get over the shock of the transplant.

NJBob said:I would also consider a transplant solution like Quick Start to help get over the shock of the transplant.

That certainly couldn't hurt to get the roots growing!

Sean: Thank-you for the info and link...unfortunately when it comes to deer this area in VA is like another planet! The deer do not stop at anything. When I first moved there, I dutifully sought out all the native, deer-do-not-eat, species I could find. I robbed friends of cuttings, sowed seeds...I was determined to fill those bare spaces with what should be growing there....fool marching to the brink I obtained just about all the "A" species on the Rutgers list! NOT 1! of them was deer resistant here...save maybe the paw paws. Yet, half a mile down the road out of the mountains, the deer adhere to many of the rules listed in your link. Go figure!

Bob and Sandy: Thanks for that suggestion....I shall google and buy....is this a cutting kind of thing, like root tone?

There are probably other brand names, but Quick Start itself is made by Miracle Gro and I've found it at Walmart. It's a liquid concentrate that you mix with water and basically just use it to water in your transplants. I'm not entirely convinced that it does more for the plants than just adding dilute fertilizer solution, but I'm kind of a sucker for anything that I figure can't hurt and might help

Plants do seem to establish quicker with it and I have had less losses. But like you said I am sure other things might work as well.

Thanks for sharing, im new here and learning from the experts :D

dannygreen and hope you enjoy it here.

I think your'e going to find they will adjust well. Especially by next year. Sounds like a nice favor your doing.