Digging along a Fuschia root!

I inherited an overgrown garden so I'm transforming it. I have good reason to move a 5ft high fuschia plant which is in the ground. Having an initial dig around for the root ball, the thick root seems to go on forever, about 4 feet long already and I'm still digging. The fuschia root is also intermingling with an ancient grape vine root which is why I stopped to post this thread!

If I must severe the root but keep a good length of it, will it kill the plant?

 

No, cut the root, try and get a root ball of around 3' fuchia is fairl robust so you are unlikely to kill it, obviusly keep it watered for the next month or so during dry spells whilst it establishes.

Also take the oportunity to thin out some of the branches, cutting a few out from the base this will reduce the stress of the reduced root systme.

 

Of course,always take cuttings just in case....nothing is certain and the back up is a sensible precaution.

 

Paul is right on the button with his answer as is paladin. If the tap root was spreading sideways, it was either planted in too small a hole or the ground was too hard under the root to let it sink further in. If you are going to plant something else in its place, improve the soil conditions by digging deeper and giving a good bucketfull of compost laced with blood fish and bone.
G.Man

 

Right! I've chopped it!

The root was spreading sideways and like Gingernutsman suspected, the ground was certainly hard--the fuschia had been growing out of very stoney ground. It's a beautiful, mature plant and I heavily pruned it into a figure 8 last year and then it bloomed like crazy so obviously appreciates a bit of care. I've now positioned it in my tropical bed and lavished it with my homemade (completely disgusting I know) mackrel head fish fertiliser.

 

p.s. Thanks everyone for your advice!

 

Its a fuschia!

Cut back the top - as much as you like, the smaller it is the easier and more successful will be the transplantation.

chop round the roots and replant in a well-prepared hole and water well. Do not let it it dry out.

If you cut the top back by half, it will be 5' again by the end of the year. Trust me, I'm a politican