Q: We have a sparse, 6-foot tall Japanese maple tree that is only a foot or so from the side of our house in a shaded area. Can we move it? When would be the best time?

TOM RUSSO, Marietta

Walter Reeves / Special (ENLARGE)

Forsythia is covered with yellow flowers in March but don't be surprised if a few pop out in November.

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A: Your instincts are correct: The tree won't have a happy life in its present location. It is reasonably easy to move it now. Use a spading fork to discover and loosen the network of roots spreading out from the trunk. Get a helper to lean the tree to one side while you slip the fork under the trunk and lever it upwards. With a bit of effort you should be able to pull the whole thing out of the ground with a big pancake of roots but not a lot of soil.

Wet the roots, cover them with damp newspaper and prepare your planting area to a size and shape that will fit. Remove enough soil from the planting area so the tree roots can be spread out but kept at the same level at which they were growing originally. Replace the soil onto the roots and put a layer of pine mini-nuggets over the planting area. Dampen the area with five gallons of water and let nature take care of it thereafter.

Q: My lawn company wants to do deep liquid fertilization on trees and shrubs. Is this a good time of year for this?

FRAN SCHWINDLER, Stone Mountain

A: I am not a fan of deep root feeding if the injection is more than a few inches deep. Tree and shrub roots grow in the top 12 inches of soil. Putting fertilizer deeper than the roots makes no sense. Fertilizing should be done in response to a soil test. Has your company shown you the soil test it is basing the application on? Finally, fertilization is best done when the plants can use the nutrients, typically in spring or early summer. Fertilizer applied this late in the season could harm plants because they can't absorb it readily and because drought has stressed them already. I found a good shrub fertilization summary at http://xrl.us/SHRUBFERT.

Q: I need information on fatshedera. Would it be hardy in Savannah?

KENT QUINNELLY, Sandy Springs

A: Fatshedera is a fascinating plant. It is a cross between fatsia, a big-leafed tropical, and a form of English ivy called Irish ivy. The original plant was discovered in France in 1910. The shiny leaves and coarse texture make it an eye-catching addition to a landscape. I feel sure it will be hardy in Savannah. My friend Newton Hogg has tended a sprawling patch of fatshedra in Decatur for 40 years. He says prolonged severe cold will damage new growth, but his plants have never been killed outright.

Q: Is it normal for a forsythia bush to have blooms in November in North Georgia? I saw a bush producing flowers outside of Cleveland.

BILL POWELL, Dawsonville

A: It may not be normal for us, but it is completely normal for the forsythia. Spring-flowering shrubs, like azalea, forsythia and quince are sensitive to stress triggers in their environment. The heat and drought of September was quite stressful for your forsythia, just as winter cold would be. A few buds reacted to harsh conditions by opening early. The rest will keep tight until they display their golden branches in March.