I would like to transplant some oak and other species of trees onto my land. I already have the location of the trees I want. These are growing wild, not from a nursery. Just wondering if anyone has done this successfully. What time of year, is every root necessary, these are just some of the questions I have. And if you are just going to tell me to google it, save your time I have and it is hard to get a straight answer. I would like to hear from someone that has done it before. Thanks for any help.
I have transplanted oaks. This is the right time of year to do it. It's important to get as much of the roots as possible. The trees I did were from 3 to 5 foot tall and I dug about 3 foot around them and had a big root ball. Keep them watered and they will do fine.
I'm curious to this as well since I'm about to transplant 2 cypress trees from my parent's property to our front yard. They are both about 15 feet tall. I've heard that you just need to dig a past the root ball, and wrap with burlap. Then plant like you would a tree from the nursery. Best time of year is the fall or very early spring.
Thanks for the fast replies. I was wondering if it was okay to do it during the winter or not. Would it help to put any fertilizer or something when they are replanted. Or would it not make any difference since they are somewhat dormant during winter. As you can tell I dont really have a green thumb.
In MN I try and plant late fall after the leaves have dropped and the tree is dormant, so I would guess now would be a great time. As much of the root system as possible, dig a hole bigger than the root ball on the tree, I add peat moss to the hole, water the bejesus out of it, add root fertilizer, and let it go. We've had real good luck with this. One thing to remember is to tie the tree up since the roots are not established and won't hold up the tree in a stiff breeze. Good Luck.
Pretty much this . Late fall is best to do it. The most important thing is to get as much rootball as possible and keep it intact. Tie it up and stake it good until it takes off. I wouldnt' bother with any fertilizers this time of year because the roots won't take them up with soil temps being low. Fertilize and keep water the heck out of it in the spring and they should be fine. Don't try moving big trees (diameter). I usually stick with less than 2" diameter for transplanting by hand. Anything bigger I get a tree spade (which may be an option for you to really move some trees). Also don't plant them like telephone poles. They should actually be mounded a little. So the water sheds off the mound and outwards to fee the fiborous roots away from the trunk. If a buck starts to rub on it, shoot it.
The best time to transplant trees, both decidious and evergreen, is anytime between November and February. A good rule to follow is the same rule that Nurserymen follow: ball and burlap to ensure the rootball stays intact during the transplanting process, and for decidious trees, dig a root ball that has 12“ of soil diameter for every 1" of tree trunk caliper. In other words, a tree that has a caliper size of 2", measured at chest height, should have a 24" diameter root ball. Evergreens, such as pine and spruce, have a more fiberous root system, and you can get by with a bit smaller root ball. Take care to keep the root ball intact, plant at the same depth, or a tad higher than it was growing in it's original spot, water it in good, and apply a layer of much to hold the moisture during times of drought, and you are set. During my days of Landscape Contracting We transplanted many trees, and I have successfully transplanted trees up to 6" in diameter. Yeah........that was a LARGE root ball, and a LOT of work, but those trees are still doing well today. My back hurts just thinking about those days!
Beehunter is correct on his advice. Dont know if it has been mentioned but i would not fertilize them . It can burn the roots . I have read this and been told the same by arborists. last fall i transplanted 16 3 to 4 inch naples and all survived.
I am glad this post was made. Thanks for that sledgehammer. I was going to buy some leyland cypresses to help give cover for a food plot I want to start this season. I think I will get started next week transplanting some cedar and spruce instead. Not sure why I didn't think about this sooner. Great post man!!!
Thanks for the help I am going to give it a shot this weekend. I didnt even think about securing them to posts. I sure hope this works it would be nice to have some trees to look at.
