Moving a +30 yo

[et_in_sf]

I’ve have two Pachypodium lamerei, of unknown exact age, which I’ve had about 30 yrs. They were grown from little guys, outside, in a Mexican, terra cotta, thick walled, 16”X12” pot, located in a very sunny, hot area of CA. I had to move them from their happy location when I moved to SF. They were about 3.5’-4.0’ in that rather small pot, at that time. After a couple yrs inside I decided to plant them outside, into my yard, because they were starting to narrow at their apex; the yard was designed w/ the cacti and succulents on an elevated area, in a 12” corten steel, open-btm planter. They were happy for a couple yrs. Then, CA was hit w/ an extremely rainy season in 2021, w/ one day receiving over 5” of rain. I mix my own soil, and my cacti and succulents thrive – I’ve 57 kids now, in variously-sized pots. The rains were heavy enough to undermine the soil in the planter and the substrate below the open-btm planter to about a total of 1.5’ or so below the area’s original elevation. The rains also, for what I thought for a couple yrs, killed the two Pachypodium lamerei. I left them where they were in hopes they’d recover. They have, thankfully! I need to redo the open-btm, planter box bringing it up to its 12” original level, and bring up the area below the planter 0.5” or so, thus increasing the current soil level height about 1.5’ or so. Moving the other plants in the planter shouldn’t be a concern. (Here are a few pics of how they currently look in the planter.) I fear up-rooting these two will cause ‘em great shock. So now to my request: How would you folks suggest I up-root them and then replant them? How might the root-system look after having access to the earth? Should I consider planting ‘em in deeper soil? Etc. for questions I’ve not thought? I should be able to complete the task in a day. I presume the entire task should be carried out over a couple non-sunny days. Thanks again for your knowledge and help.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, et_in_sf said:

I’ve have two Pachypodium lamerei, of unknown exact age, which I’ve had about 30 yrs. They were grown from little guys, outside, in a Mexican, terra cotta, thick walled, 16”X12” pot, located in a very sunny, hot area of CA. I had to move them from their happy location when I moved to SF. They were about 3.5’-4.0’ in that rather small pot, at that time. After a couple yrs inside I decided to plant them outside, into my yard, because they were starting to narrow at their apex; the yard was designed w/ the cacti and succulents on an elevated area, in a 12” corten steel, open-btm planter. They were happy for a couple yrs. Then, CA was hit w/ an extremely rainy season in 2021, w/ one day receiving over 5” of rain. I mix my own soil, and my cacti and succulents thrive – I’ve 57 kids now, in variously-sized pots. The rains were heavy enough to undermine the soil in the planter and the substrate below the open-btm planter to about a total of 1.5’ or so below the area’s original elevation. The rains also, for what I thought for a couple yrs, killed the two Pachypodium lamerei. I left them where they were in hopes they’d recover. They have, thankfully! I need to redo the open-btm, planter box bringing it up to its 12” original level, and bring up the area below the planter 0.5” or so, thus increasing the current soil level height about 1.5’ or so. Moving the other plants in the planter shouldn’t be a concern. (Here are a few pics of how they currently look in the planter.) I fear up-rooting these two will cause ‘em great shock. So now to my request: How would you folks suggest I up-root them and then replant them? How might the root-system look after having access to the earth? Should I consider planting ‘em in deeper soil? Etc. for questions I’ve not thought? I should be able to complete the task in a day. I presume the entire task should be carried out over a couple non-sunny days. Thanks again for your knowledge and help.

et_in_sf,  Welcome to the forum..

As long as it is done carefully, and they're going back into the same ..or similar.. chunky, well draining soil mix, these should transplant w/ out issue..  Have seen large specimens dug up and moved. Plants shrugged off any transplant shock,  and kept on doing their thing afterward.

Because you're coming into the best part of the summer there,  ( ..Lived in San Jose,  Aug. - October was always the nicest time to visit often chilly ol' 'Frisco or places nearby like Half Moon Bay.. )  plants should adjust fine / initiate some new root growth before things start cooling off after October. 

Winter ahead this year may be milder and drier than that last couple, so,  ...you might even see some growth past October, or earlier on next spring as well.

[et_in_sf]

Thank you very much Silas. Do you feel that the Pachypodium could survive being out of soil for a day? The project is looking larger than I initially expected. Rushing the process would probably increase accidents. I’d be laying them down on a blanket, moisten the area where the roots will be laying (moist, not wet), cover the roots loosely w/ a bin bag, in a garage. (BTW, your comments have lessened my appreciation of the task ahead.)

[Darold Petty]

ET , Welcome to  Palmtalk !   

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, et_in_sf said:

Thank you very much Silas. Do you feel that the Pachypodium could survive being out of soil for a day? The project is looking larger than I initially expected. Rushing the process would probably increase accidents. I’d be laying them down on a blanket, moisten the area where the roots will be laying (moist, not wet), cover the roots loosely w/ a bin bag, in a garage. (BTW, your comments have lessened my appreciation of the task ahead.)

That's a good question .. Think if you keep them wrapped and moist, you should be fine for a day..  You're nowhere near as hot / dry as it is here, and they are fairly tough plants so,  ..as long as the total project won't take longer than a day, i don't see why the plants will react adversely.

Would definitely poke around under them to see just how much root mass there is / how easily they'll lift before completely uprooting. 

From the pictures, they don't look too big / shouldn't have a large root system, ..like this one posted on Pinterest **Picture credit, whomever took it ** 

Thinking this is one of the specimens in the Madagascar Garden down at the L.A. Arboretum.. Can see an Uncarina,   Another fat trunked, succulent- like Genus of plants from Madagascar, on the lower left in the background )