I'd like to hear how anyone's real world experience has gone with moving these plants. I've sent emails to the Jury's in New Zealand who have told me they believe it "somewhat of a myth" that moving these plants is such a scary thing. The plant in question is only about 3'H x 2'W and has been in the ground two years. I need to move it because I raised the level of earth around it about one foot for a large raised border expansion.
About the same size as the ones I dug up and replanted once. They all died. However, if you need to move it, you need to move it.
I've moved three, and lost two. That being said, the third (last) one is doing well; it was roughly similar in size to yours. So...dig a perimeter trench as far outside the drip line as you think you can manage (ie. the farther out, the larger/heavier/less stable the root ball), and carefully dig toward the center, beneath the fleshy surface roots. Try and get a tarp or some straps under the root ball, get extra hands, and lift it out and directly into the new hole...careful backfilling, don't plant it deeper than it was previous, muck it in, cross your fingers, say a prayer to the ghost of Pierre Magnol, and see what happens in the spring. That's about all you can do.
Those are not light reassurances, fellas! At I didn't spend too much on the one, I suppose. I have two others, only one of which really needs to be moved. I supposed I do not HAVE to move it, but it will be a good one foot below surrounding soil surface level if I don't...which means it will die anyway. <sigh> Ah well, you win some, you lose some.
