The beginning of spring is the best time if you are planning to transplant trees and shrubs. But you should also consider the right timing, which is when the plants are still asleep. Transplanting them while awake causes a very traumatic experience for them and they can be hurt badly. Therefore you should consider transplanting them while they are still in the dormancy stage, which can be easily determined. The dormancy stage of plants starts in fall, when the weather gets good hard freeze. This stage where the plants are in a deep sleep continues and will only wake up until the weather warms up in spring.

It is safe to do the transplanting at the start of the spring and until the plants leaf out completely. Actually it is still safe to transplant even the buds are already green and swollen, but not until the leaf starts to develop. The shrubs are safe to be transplanted even by just bare root, just make sure to keep the roots damp when you are not yet ready to plant them on the ground again.

Cutting a few roots from the transplanting plant will not harm them, but some guidelines should be followed. The diameter of the plant or tree to be replanted should be proportional to the minimum required length of the root. The minimum length of the root should be 12 times the diameter of the stem of the plant to be replanted. For instance, a plant or tree with a 1 inch diameter should have a corresponding root of not lesser than 12 inches in length.

Transplanting is a good way of keeping the plants healthy. This method of planting will actually make them happy, and will rejuvenate the plants life.