Transplanting japanese acer

Hi,first time in the forum so hi to everyone,my question is i want to dig up a japanese acer which has been established for about six years,its about three feet x three feet and in excellent condition,the reason for removing and replanting is my eldest son has moved into new property and i promised him he could have it,is it ok too remove the acer at this time of the year,also appreciate any tips once it has been dug up (what would happen if i damaged the roots would i need any special compost or would it help if i put rooting powder into the ground on replanting)....any help would be very welcome........Many thanks Sklig.......................

Wrong time of year to move anything in my opinion-leave it till the autumn.

Rooting powder is to aid in the rooting of cuttings it will not help in this instance.

When you come to do get as much rootball up as you can and also have the new spot prepared in readiness.

As Geoff says, this is the worst time of the year to move it - wait until the leaves have dropped and it is dormant. At that size, the rootball will be substantial - acers have shallow, spreading roots, so you will be looking at something as wide as the tree's canopy.

Hi,Geoff and Alina W,many thanks for the speedy response to my question,will take note of your opinions,cheers,Sklig............

Geoff is spot on - make sure you don't damage the roots when you move it . I had to dig mine out of a wooden container that had rotted and I've caused no end of problems - all the new growth wilted and I've had to remove some branches that have died back . Alina reckons it may come back next .  I live in hope .

As long as some of it's still alive there's a reasonable chance that it will improve next year, Jean

Thanks, Alina still following your advice and it's still alive, well the barks green.

Hi Ive moved my maple twice in two years and its doing great now. It was in a pot then i moved it to the front garden but it was to dry and windy. so now I moved it to the back in a shaded area that is fed by the gutter when it rains.  Its never looked better.

I have one to tackle this autumn - it's been in the wrong place 2 years longer than it should have been and hs grown quite large.

I'm sure I heard or read on/in Gardeners' World that the reason before you should dig around the root-ball and fill with loose compost so any damage is repaired before you move it and it's easier to dig up - did I dream it?