Question
Hello Jim> Greetings from a former fellow expert in Eugene, Oregon. I am enjoying our 15 year old landscaped yard which has flourished from the clay nicely. A small yet enjotable lawn is set into the sloped hillside on a leveled area and we placed 5 arborvitaes along a 20' run at the fence line. Units 1,4 and 5 are now 15 to 20' tall, but 2 and 3 didn't survive. I am toying with the thought of moving #4 to the center for both asthetics as well as room for future growth. Any thoughts on the matter? Thanks for your time and response. <Will  

Answer
Hi Will Lasseter,

>>"....but 2 and 3 didn't survive"..?

Arbor vitae grow relatively fast. As far as most nursery stock is concerned, they are usually not very expensive and they come in all sizes.

I have known of established specimens of Arbor vitae that are well over 20 feet tall, and these try to grow more than two-feet a year; one has to work once or twice a year to keep them an easy size to shape and trim without a lot of ladder-work.

The fact that you had some survival problems with the originals may be prognostic as far as any transplanting plans are concerned.  Specimens that are 20' tall are rather large and 15 years is a  long time for a shrub to be established and have the trauma of transplanting to deal with. I don't think you should move the big old shrub. At least, I don't think it should be something for you yourself to tackle.

You can purchase nursery specimens that are good size and these might grow fast enough to level-out the scene.  Nursery specimens should also come with a 'transplant guarantee'.  They are usually gauranteed to survive the season or year.  Also some nurseries will provide a transplanting service.  They have special digging tools and can get a large root-ball to move even very large trees.  Get an estimate for having the pros move your shrub with some sort of contracted guarantee.  Otherwise, I would not risk losing a 15 year-old well established specimen just for the aesthetics.  Even a small nursery specimen might grow fast enough to fill in for you and you could trim back the taller ones to speed up the goal of common height.

In summary, let the old shrub stay as is and invest in a new plant.  If you think you really must move it, have the pros do it with some sort of contract guarantee for survival or replacement.  Do not transplant anything after the heat arrives.
-----
Some recommended websites:

[01]
To help you decide what plants to use and where to place them check-out the "PLANT SELECTOR" applet:
 http://www.growit.com/Bin/PSelect.exehttp://www.growit.com/Bin/PSelect.exe

[02]
For Seasonal Lawn-care tips:
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/tips/index.html

[03]
Know Your HORTICULTURAL HARDINESS ZONE:
Use grasses and plants rated for your location and hort-zone.

Hort-Zones from ZIP CODES:
 http://www.arborday.org/trees/whatzone.html

[04]
Shop for Lawn and Garden Items via the WEB:
A List of LAWN & GARDENING CATALOGUES:
 http://www.qnet.com/~johnsonj/webonly.htm

[05]
Protect garden plants from the heat with Wilt-Pruf:
 http://www.wiltpruf.com/
-------
I Hope this has answered your question(s)!

Visit my Lawn & Gardens webpage for more Tips, Facts and Links:
http://hometown.aol.com/eilatlog/lawnol.html

Your Questions and Comments are welcome at ALLEXPERTS.com
---------------------