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How to move a prized tree yourself

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Adrian Higgins

Ornamental trees and shrubs can outgrow their allotted space or find themselves in the way of a new patio or addition. By relocating a prized plant, the gardener not only can save a tree but also provide a great focal point for a reworked area.

Several factors determine whether to move a tree or shrub — the beauty and age of the plant, its sentimental value and its chances of survival if moved — but one aspect carries the most weight: its size.

The do-it-yourselfer can probably dig and move a tree with a 11/2-inch-thick trunk, or a shrub or evergreen of about 5 feet high, said Dave Reed, vice president of Meadows Farms landscape and nursery company in Chantilly, Va. Double the size and you will need “three or four strong people” to shift the excavated plant because of the weight of the root ball, he said.

This time of year, conditions lend themselves to what landscape companies call “on-site transplanting.” This is more than just a job for strong backs; you have to follow rules or risk killing the tree, evergreen or shrub.


How do you lift a tree?

There are two basic methods. The root ball can be dug by hand or excavated with a serious piece of equipment called a hydraulic tree spade. Tree spades are used for larger trees, though sometimes a big tree has to be dug by hand because of site conditions, in which case excavation will cost more than with a tree spade.


Does size matter?

Absolutely. The larger the transplant, the heavier the root ball, the greater the effort, and the more likely the need for special equipment to dig and move the plant. Reed said his crews hand-dig root balls up to about 3 feet across, beyond which they have to resort to a tree spade.


How do you measure a tree?

For deciduous trees, measure the trunk’s width — or caliper — at 6 inches above the ground (for trees with up to a 4-inch caliper). A 2-inch-caliper specimen is a fairly large young tree. A 4-inch-caliper tree is exponentially larger and heavier. For shrubs and broadleaf and needled evergreens, the digger takes into account the height of the plant in gauging the size of the root ball.


How do I know whether to move a tree or shrub?

First, ask whether the plant is worth saving. An old English boxwood, an ornamental cherry and a weeping Japanese maple are obvious treasures, along with any choice, slow-growing specimen. A fast-growing and common plant such as a red-tip photinia, arborvitae or Bradford pear wouldn’t be worth the expense, especially if it is getting big.

Transplanted trees, as a rule, are not guaranteed to live, making the cost of planting a new tree, with a warranty, more economically feasible.

David Watkins of Merrifield Garden Center in Merrifield, Va., offers this advice: “If it’s under 2 inches, it makes sense. If it’s between 2 and 4 inches, it becomes fairly questionable to move it versus buying a new tree.”


What are the dimensions of the root ball?

The correct size of the root ball is directly related to the tree’s height or girth. The sizes are standardized in industry tables, but a rule of thumb is that the root ball should be roughly 1 foot wide for each inch of trunk caliper.


What are the considerations for replanting?

Moving a plant to an area that stays wet can spell doom. And make sure there are no buried pipes or electrical lines before you start digging.

In the move, you might need to protect branches and reduce the width of the tree by carefully wrapping the vegetation in burlap.

Dig the new hole before you start excavating the plant. Match the hole’s depth to that of the root ball: The plant must not sit too low in its site, and once you drop it in, you won’t want to lift it out again.


What tools and other equipment will I need?

If you are hand-digging, you will need as a minimum a strong spade, a mattock or digging fork for prying stones and an ax to sever roots.

You might also want a long bar for digging and prying, called a spud bar. This is used for breaking the root ball free from the ground and for general maneuvering. You might also need a large dolly called a ball cart, for moving the transplants. Equipment rental centers and Home Depot should have carts.

It is important to keep the soil in the root ball intact, to minimize root trauma. You might be able to place a transplant on a tarp and drag it to its new site, but if it is going to get jostled, you should wrap the ball in burlap. Burlap comes in sheets or in rolls, and is pinned with nails and tied at the top. For extra security, some gardeners secure the burlap with rope circles at the top and bottom of the ball, which are then drum-laced together. After replanting, free any ties and ropes that might interfere with trunk growth and let the burlap rot in place.


What care does a transplant need before moving?

First, the soil around the tree should be deeply soaked to hydrate the tree and to make digging easier.

The best transplant insurance is a technique called root pruning. Several weeks or, preferably, months before the move, make an encircling slice through the soil and the roots — drive the spade as deeply as it will go at the correct distance from the trunk. Then leave it. In time, the severed roots will grow a tight mass of new feeder roots that will lessen the stress of the eventual move.

If you want to be a perfectionist, you can dig a 6- to 8-inch-wide trench outside the sliced roots and backfill it with organic matter to promote a robust root regeneration.

When you dig the root ball for moving, it is vital, of course, to dig beyond the initial slicing to retain the new root growth.

Although root pruning is not always necessary, it’s highly recommended in advance of transplanting in the growing season, especially in the hot summer months.


What care does a transplant need after moving?

The same basic care as a tree that came from a nursery instead of across the backyard: The base of the trunk should sit an inch or two above the soil line, and the transplant should be well watered but not soaked constantly so that it drowns. A light mulch will help, but avoid mulch volcanoes that smother the trunk.


Are some plants easier to move than others, even if they are the same size?

Small shrubs with fibrous surface roots such as azaleas and boxwood can be moved like furniture. Fruit trees, maples, crape myrtles and most conifers typically do well in a move. Many common shrubs are easy to relocate.

Taprooted trees such as redbuds are harder to transplant. Oaks are also deep-rooted and require a deeper root ball. The white oak is notoriously difficult to move.


Can I store a transplant for replanting later?

Yes, but the tree should be held in a shady and sheltered location, and the root ball must not dry out. You can cover the root ball in leaf mold, compost or even woodchips — or heel it in to a spare patch of ground. Check periodically while watering to make sure the root ball is not exposed.


DIY tree-moving

Step 1: A 2-inch-caliper tree requires a root ball that is 28 inches wide and 18 inches deep. This is about the largest transplant a do-it-yourselfer (with some help) will want to tackle. Use a spade to slice the roots in a circle with a 14-inch radius from the trunk. First, though, dig the hole at the new site — better to discover any snags there before you dig the tree.

Step 2: Excavate a trench a few inches wide to give yourself the working space to dig the root ball.

Recommended root ball sizes can be found in a manual named American Standard for Nursery Stock. Evergreens and shrubs are measured by height, not trunk caliper.

Step 3: As you dig, taper the ball inward; most roots are in the top 6 inches. You might have to tilt the tree to expose lower tap roots for cutting. Pile the excavated soil on a tarp, for filling the hole afterward. Break the bottom free with the spade or a pry bar.

Step 4: If possible, lift the root ball out of the hole and onto a sheet of burlap, which is used to wrap the ball. Pin the burlap with 2-inch nails — push them through the cloth into the soil — and tie the burlap together near the trunk. If the root structure is sparse and the soil loose, wrap the ball while it is still in the hole to prevent the ball from disintegrating when it is lifted.

Step 5: Before dropping the tree into the new hole, measure the depth of the ball and the depth of the hole, which should be a few inches wider than the ball. Make adjustments as necessary: The base or flare of the trunk should sit about 2 inches above the surrounding gradient. Check carefully that the trunk is vertical. You can use a few large stones to adjust the root ball to straighten the tree.

Step 6: Untie and peel back the top of the burlap and cut the rope, both of which will rot in place (don’t use nylon rope). Backfill the remaining cavity with the excavated soil. Soak it as you do this to water the roots and remove air pockets. Form a saucer of soil outside the root ball, which will direct rainwater to the roots. Top the saucer with a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch, keeping the trunk clear. Tree stakes or guy wires will help to keep the tree upright, but they should be removed after a year or two.