Q: I have what appear to be a couple of volunteer sprouts coming up around the bottom of an established crapemyrtle. Are these able to be transplanted and, if so, what’s the best method of doing that?

A: It all depends on how far away they are from the base of the mother crape. If only a couple of feet, they don’t have now (and will not develop in the future) a root system big enough to support the sprouts after you transplant them. However, if they are more than five feet away, they likely have sufficient roots to eventually be moved. In that case, measure two feet from the sprout toward the mother plant and plunge a sharp shovel straight into the ground. This will sever the root connection to the bigger plant. Leave the sprout in place until next year. In the next couple of months the sprout will grow a larger root system and you can transplant it in April once new growth has begun.