transplant, in horticulture, plant or tree removed from one location and reset in the ground at another. Most small deciduous trees may be moved with no soil attached to their roots. Trees of more than 7.5 cm (3 inches) in trunk diameter, however, are best moved balled and burlapped, that is, with a ball of earth enclosing the roots held in place with burlap.
The tree is usually set out at approximately the depth it stood before moving, and planting is done as quickly as possible after digging, protecting the roots from sun and wind and keeping them moist. Holes must be wide and deep enough to permit the roots to spread naturally or, in the case of balled and burlapped stock, to receive the ball. The hole is filled around the transplanted tree with fertile soil of good texture, worked around the roots and tamped to eliminate air pockets. A shallow, saucerlike depression is formed around the tree to retain water. Trees that are transplanted in the fall should be mulched with 10–12.5 cm of straw, moist leaves, or hay. Broken or damaged branches should be pruned. In preparing a native tree for transplantation, both top growth and roots should be pruned back. The trunk is wrapped with tree wrap paper to prevent damage from borers, animals, sunscald, or windburn.
Vegetables and flowers that have been started indoors may be transplanted when all danger of frost has passed. Plants must be handled carefully to avoid shock. Seedlings are hardened up for a day or two outside before transplanting. A day that is cloudy or rainy, windless, and cool is ideal for transplanting garden plants. The roots must be kept moist and intact. Newly transplanted small plants require a few days of protection from direct sunlight.