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j0nd03

Fall or spring to transplant Sassafras albidum

j0nd03
12 years ago

I have found a small seedling around 1-1.5 feet tall in an unmaintained part of our property. I have heard sassafras has fleshy roots and is sensitive to transplant but I am pretty sure I can get most of the roots with this little one.

Which season would be better to dig it up and transplant it?

It is starting to a little puny like most everything else around here and I think I am going to start watering it until we get some rain. Since I will be watering the baby, at any time before it is dug, should I sever any of the outer roots to promote more root growth towards the center of the tree?

Comments (18)

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    12 years ago

    In your area, I'd transplant in fall (after dormancy) or at least by very early spring, IF the tree seems to be healthy and ready to transplant by then. I wouldn't consider transplanting one that was in less than great condition. I'm doubtful that root pruning this late would be beneficial for a transplant this fall.

    You probably have already considered the possibility of the tree being a sucker from the root system of a nearby tree, but in case you haven't, you should.

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    12 years ago

    PS...

    If it is a sucker and you are going to try to transplant it, go ahead and sever the root link (both on the mother-tree side and the other side) now. If it doesn't make it, you'll have saved the work you would have had to do to transplant it. If it does make it, maybe it will have grown at least a few extra roots by then.

    Also dig a rootball about twice as large as you would for most other types of trees that size.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    12 years ago

    the key is simply dormant.. leafless.. so there are no stresses on the tree trying to hold the leaves ...

    when dormant above.. its root growing time ... so the most time you can give it .. before the next onslaught of high heat ... is best ..

    up here in the great white north.. we are limited by ground freeze ... so we shoot for leaf fall [oct some time] or first weeks of april... as soon as the ground is thawed and drained ...

    i add all this.. so you might digest all the varying info you might have been reading in your research ...

    AS I UNDERSTAND .... having never lived where the ground does NOT freeze ... you have just about all winter to do it.. subject to the usually seasonal droughts associated with winter ...

    i will therefor defer to peeps with more experience in warmer zones.. just had a felling you might like the learnin ...

    ken

  • j0nd03
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Ok, this is sassafras, right?

    {{gwi:382271}}
    By jp_42_82 at 2011-07-13

  • arktrees
    12 years ago

    Looks like it to me.

    Arktrees

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    12 years ago

    It is, and a droopy one at that. Is it real dry there?

  • j0nd03
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Ark.

    I have been sucked in to Dr. Master's blog on wunderground the last couple of days. Soooo much info.. and some of the posters are spending $250+ a year just to make their own tropical storm forecasts. Crazy!

  • j0nd03
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    About as dry as it has been with temps 105 or greater for 2 solid weeks straight with one exception. No rain since the end of May. I did water it with a 5 gallon bucket that I drilled a 1/8" hole into 2 times since the pic. The bottom leaves actually already turned crusty and a little yellow before I got to it. Gotta check on that baby when I get home today.

  • arktrees
    12 years ago

    j)nd03,
    I thought you might enjoy it. I like learning and studying the weather, but those people make me feel like a two year old with a toy truck. Glad your enjoying. BTW, if you haven't noticed, there are plenty of past blogs that are very interesting, and be sure to read his account of flying into Hurricane Hugo with the Hurricane Hunter's, and almost NOT making it back.

    Arktrees

  • naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
    12 years ago

    For backup, try collecting and planting seeds near the tree after it is transplanted. Then if the transplant doesn't make it, you should have a seedling that will grow quickly. If the transplant thrives, just yank the tiny ones.

    The tree moving advice above is good. However, I know people who successfully move most trees and struggle repeatedly with sassafras. It's a challenging one to transplant but easy to grow from seed.

  • j0nd03
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Naturegirl, when is the appropriate time to collect seed for sassafras? I assume immature seed should already be visible on a mature tree.

  • naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
    12 years ago

    In southern Michigan seeds are ready in Sept. or Oct. They are easy to spot then because the fruit is dark blue and sits in a scarlet base attached to a bright red stem. We're at the northern edge of sassafras range so most trees don't get very large and it is easy to spot the fruit ...especially if I am hiking 30 miles or so to the south where spring frost are less likely to nip the flowers. I'm not sure when seeds would be ready by you but you should be able to spot the unripe fruit clusters now and keep an eye on them. If the trees by you are all really tall you can watch for dropped seeds under them when the fruits are ripe. Birds like the fruit and often drop some of the seeds while feeding. Of course they eat some of the fruit whole and fly away before "planting" the undigested seed in a new place. Maybe that's how yours traveled to its spot.

  • j0nd03
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I have searched our property pretty well and have found a few young sassafras only about 6-10' in height. I know the 3 on my property are not seed bearing. I will take a look at the other one with my son this weekend. The problem is I live in a rural area and the "mother" trees are probably smack in the middle of someone else's property.

    Arktrees has hit me with the "raising from seed" bug so I might collect and pot up for experimenting, too. Don't worry, I will leave some for the birds, too ;-)

    And I guess as an update: although we returned to 108* yesterday, on Wednesday we actually got .4" rain at my house and the baby did perk up quite a bit

    {{gwi:382272}}
    By jp_42_82 at 2011-07-15

  • j0nd03
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Drove all around this morning and couldn't find a mature specimen. I did locate 8 trees, but none had any fruit. I think I can safely say the local sassafras are among the least drought tolerant. They and black cherry seem to be turning fall colors and dropping leaves.

    My mother told me about some old sassafras trees at my grandmothers house by her barn. So all hope is not lost on the seed front.

    It is currently 104 and the seedling in question is back to being droopy...

    A couple of pics of leaves I encountered today:

    {{gwi:382274}}
    By jp_42_82 at 2011-07-16

    {{gwi:382276}}
    By jp_42_82 at 2011-07-16

    Beautiful shades of orange, yellow and red. Almost creamy but vivid. I REALLY want that in my yard!

  • j0nd03
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Here she sat
    All bare and lonely
    Dropped her leafs
    Sticking up, stem only

    I looked at it
    And it looked frail
    Tried to bend it
    Then the wood failed

    It broke to the ground
    All the way down

    My dream is no more
    For there was no rain
    And then last night it poured
    However in vain

    {{gwi:382278}}
    By jp_42_82 at 2011-08-10

    Ark has shared a good source for sassafras with me. I will be ordering form soonerplantfarm this fall.

    John

  • Iris GW
    12 years ago

    What a charming poem. I can NEVER find a plant in fruit around here. But I dig them up and dig them up and about 50% of the time, I get lucky. I've got several waiting in pots for the fall, then I will plant them.

  • j0nd03
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Yeah esh, I have given up on finding seed. I think pretty all the seed by now, here at least, was probably shed to conserve energy for the mother tree.

    Also, just for you, an improved version with more finality at the end.

    Here she sat
    All bare and lonely
    Dropped her leafs
    Sticking up, stem only

    I looked at it
    And it looked frail
    Tried to bend it
    Then the wood failed

    It broke to the ground
    All the way down

    My dream is no more
    For there was no rain
    And then last night it poured
    However in vain

    For the Sassafras Albidum
    Rotting in its own medium
    Dead and naked
    Composting on the forest floor

    *closes topic curtain

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